Red
by thebeastinsideusall
Summary: Stop looking at him like that, With pity in your glassy eyes. All he is to you is a tragedy, right? Stop it. Stop fucking looking at him like that. Do you hear me? He will break you with his bloodstained teeth. Jason/OFC, Roy/Kori. This is cross posted on my Archive account.
1. Chapter 1

The music was loud, bass booming. Causing mirrors on walls to tremble the slightest bit in their secure places. So loud that the chatter turned to yelling, voices were lost in the fray of moving bodies and screaming sounds from speakers. Booze was flowing, the full moon rising high above the city as Halloween was in full swing for all the adults. Kiddies had their candies and were passed out at home, babysitters paid and the single people were out and about, enjoying the one night they can be dressed however they want and get as drunk as they wanted. Halloween was great.

Bodies pressed together, bass thudding their heart making the organ pump an uneven beat as beer and cocktails were consumed as quickly as candy from the earlier trick-or-treaters. Costumes galore, slutty to nerdy, gamer to funny, historical to classic monsters. They were everywhere.

Like the group of superhero dressed young adults dancing away on the glitter covered floor till late into the night. Lycra and leather costume parts sticking to sweaty skin, painted on masks starting to fade from long wear. Laughter rose and fell from the group, others envying the younger generation in their youthful bodies and ability to go all night without stopping.

There's a mixture of costumed twenty year olds. Batman, Robin of course, staples in any Halloween party. Then there's just as popular yet not as widely known, Starfire and Cyborg from the old cartoon Teen Titans. Generations of women knew the red, blue and gold of Wonder Woman, lasso attached at the hip, sword at her back. Even Captain America and Black Widow were seen among the costumed dance floor.

Then the couple at the center of the group, bodies pressed together tightly as they swayed to the music. Slick brown leather jackets, worn and supple on shoulders. Tight leather pants rubbing against dark colored jeans, tucked into heavy black boots laced tight up one set of calves. Bright blood red bat across a muscled chest and a woman's rounds one. But the hard red almost helmet-like masks weren't on their faces, too hot in the club to be anything but an obstruction to sight and breathing. The male and female dressed Red-Hood's were having the time of their lives.

But don't be deceived by appearances. The moment the male stepped away the woman kept dancing, moving toward the superman like nothing had happened and it hadn't, the male Rd Hood was very much gay, and had been eyeing a vampire from across the floor, taking a chance to ask out the hottie while his companion has her own bit of fun. For the moment she was fine by herself, he'd find her in a minute or two. He really shouldn't have left her alone.

Soon the drinks are flowing again, the group slowly disperses and the female dressed vigilante is being chatted at by a handsome looking man dressed as ...well she wasn't quite sure. He was smartly dressed in a plum suit and green tie, but there was a lack of costume. Maybe it was some sort of obscure character from an old movie. She wasn't really focused on it. More she was trying to stay upright and she couldn't get the stupid grin off her face. It was like her face was stuck in a half laugh goofy smile.

Then nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Waves crashed nearby, echoing through the grotto. Hologram pictures of fallen comrades littered the solemn place, hidden inside the great mountain that held the Young Justice headquarters. Superboy, Aqualad... Jason Todd... He stares at his own face. The likeness uncanny, unsettling, nervewracking. Because he's no longer dead. But the person he was is dead. He's different now, a different person.

The wisp of white hair flew into his face, a reminder of his abuse, his death. Staring him right in face just as much as the memorial in front of him. A slap, a judgement. Yet nothing changed, nothing. His hands turned into tightly held fists as he stares at the stupid bright colors he had worn as the second Robin. Too bright, and even then he'd been a shadow. A shadow in the brightness, too dark for a Robin. He'd been cocky, stupid, and it had cost him dearly.

The hologram flickered, like it usually does now. The mountain in ruins, the base almost completely destroyed now. Drops of seawater were heard dripping down from the caved ceiling under the sea water. But there was no other noise. Just the gentle lapping of the edge of the water, the drips from the ceiling, and the welling anger in Jason's chest.

He wished it would vanish, he didn't need it. Nobody even glanced at it anyways. He was just the first to die, and more had come after him. Yet none of the adults changed their ways. He thought he had been a bit more important than just a memorial hologram, that they...someone, anyone, would fight back to change it all. so it wouldn't have happened again. But it didn't.

So he turned his back on the old Jason they wanted to remember when it felt okay to, and vanished into what was left of the base. Past workers clearing debris and the few young leaguers left trying to make the most of the situation and rebuild it better and bigger. He didn't want to listen, didn't care to hear their calls for his name. He didn't belong here, it was a mistake to listen to Bruce yet again. The Red Hood didn't belong here with these kids who were still so eager to follow the adults that couldn't kill or hold rage in their hearts. He was better off on his own.


	3. Chapter 3

The waves lapped at the shores and roared against cliffs, full moon peaking at the center of the sky like a sentient being watching over the black blue deep. Midnight dawned and the light cast an eerie white glow over the green foaming water. Jason's feet kept a slow gait across the sands, footsteps even without a stumble or spray of sand from his boots. The water always gave him a small sense of calm, a way to take a deep breath before the anxieties and depression and anger welled up again to consume him.

He didn't run like he thought he would have, his feet instead stomping away from the side entrance to the mountain and toward the shoreline, away from his bike. He didn't feel like riding the long way back to Gotham anyways, he needed the break. A moment to think, or maybe a moment to just be blank. He wished it would just stop screaming so much sometimes.

Without his armored chest plate and helmet on, he could hear the crashing of gentle waves against the sands. The pull and tug of the water as it came and then receded back towards itself. The moon shone down and he could make out large pieces of driftwood scattered about the beaches. Chunks of seaweed tangled together and the random shards of small garbage that were always inevitably found.

Soon he sat, slumped, down on a larger log of smoothed down white wood. Watching the waves roll and retreat and contemplating his choice. He couldn't do it, the Justice League, the Titans, even the Outlaws. He couldn't surround himself with people he didn't respect, take orders from them on a constant basis. Hell, no. But he was so tired of being alone, of being by himself. Being the only one it seemed to bear his type of burden life had given him.

Hours may have passed, he's not entirely sure, what he does know is that he needs to start moving, staying still for too long drives him half insane sometimes. Pale blue eyes cross over the shoreline once more, witnessing a piece of driftwood washing up onto the sands, a nest of kelp attached to a limb. And he almost turned to leave, if he hadn't seen a hand sticking out from the ocean debris.

Duty to help above his every instinct, he booked it to the edge of the water, boots slipping and sliding over the wet sands as he scrambled to the giant mass of kelp and wood. There was indeed a hand, attached to a forearm. A very pale and almost blue forearm.

"Fuck..." Hands pulling and ripping into the wet mass, needing to see if there was an entire body attached. Jason ripped and tugged until locks of dark, wet hair was found, then a shoulder and finally a torso and face. His fingers felt against her neck, against the cord there. It was thready, barely there. "Fuck!"

He tugged harder, laying the body on the mushy sand, laying his head on a chest and praying he could hear a heart beat. Hardly over his own rapid breathing, but there. He didn't pay any attention to anything but what his hands and mouth were doing on instinct. Pump, breath, pump, breath. CPR was a bitch...

The woman, tangled in seaweed and ocean debris still, hadn't taken a breath yet, Jason wondered if she had swallowed too much water, and he was too late, nothing he could do. But he kept going, kept doing chest compressions, kept pushing air into her lungs. He wouldn't give up until there was no longer a heartbeat...

Coughing and sputtering, sea water retched onto the sand and gasping shaggy breaths were taken. Alive, she was alive. Jason held her up as she wheezed and trembled, her lips blue from the frigid night water and being soaked to the bone. Then nothing from her, she went limp. From exhaustion or stress he's not sure, but she does have a steady heartbeat now, albeit erratic still. As he took a deep breath and was ready to stand, take her to the closest infirmary he could, he noticed something.

His hand reached out and tugged some of the ocean gunk off her torso, a flash of red burned into his eyes. That was his bat, his symbol.

"What the hell...?"


	4. Chapter 4

The infirmary in the mountain base was a room that hadn't been damaged too much. The ceiling had cracked and there were uneven floors now, but it wasn't destroyed. the young leaguers were thankful, as they needed everything inside to help save the limp young woman in Jason's arms as he ran back into the secret base entrance. With the work crews sent home for the evening it was just Tim, Starfire and couple others left in the entire base, Jason was lucky they heard his yells for help. The base was immense to try and find them especially with the computer system down.

He was dripping seawater as he ran, but he didn't much care. The moment he'd tried to wake the girl up she had gone into a seizure, water still spilling in droplets from her lips and eyes rolling back into her skull. No amount of CPR would help if her lungs were full of water, and they were. Her heartbeat was erratic against his fingers as he kept checking, but growing slower and slower by the second.

With his entrance came the chaos of getting to the med-bay, and with that came the call that would go out to the main league base up in space. He met Tim's wide eyes as he lay the girl down on the white table. The bright blood color of the red bat and armored chest plate gave him unease, he just growled for Tim to do something, because he had no idea how to explain what she was wearing. To Tim, or anyone else, not even himself.

The moment Wonder Woman and few others showed up, all of the young justice team were pushed from the medical room. Jason refused to budge from his spot at the foot of the table, fists curled and knuckles on the surface as he point blank stared at the girl in front of him, not caring that Bruce was giving him an angered look as the adults went into medical mode. He wasn't a leaguer, nor was he a titan. They didn't have the authority to tell him to leave, he would not leave this girl to their interrogation once she was awake.

So he stands there, out of the way but within an arms reach of this girl, who washed up on shore near dead, dressed like him. And the longer he stands there, the more details he notices. It's fake. The armor, the kevlar lining. It's all...cheap. Made like a costume for a party and nothing more. It wasn't made to protect, just to wear.

Her lungs are full of water, the salt burning her insides, he knows the feeling of choking on it and feeling like you can't take a deep breath ever again. The adults work diligently, Aquaman himself pushing a doctor aside and using his powers. Pulling the water from her body. The moment the bubble leaves her lips and splashes to the floor, she's retching again, curled over the side of the table as nothing but bile and gasping breaths leave her.

Jason crouched down before her, tried to lock eyes with her pale blue ones. They were red, a blood vessel most likely popped and red veins spreading about. Saltwater irritating every millimeter. But he saw nothing in her gaze, just absolute fear. The way she trembled was more then what had happened to her, he'd find that out alter, it was the surroundings and more than anything, the faces of the adults surrounding her.

Jason was good at a lot of things. Bruce had taught him so much, but he'd learned so much more..after. He knew what to look for, little tells that no one can hide, even the best of the best can't slip some things. So without a shadow of a doubt, Jason knew this girl didn't know jack-shit about what happened to her or why she was here. She just was.

Before anyone could get a word said, somehow she mustered the strength to push herself off the table. She was weak, legs couldn't even hold her own weight, and Jason caught her around the waist as she went down. Her nails clawed and she tried to scream, the scratchy wet mew that came from her throat made even Batman look a little uncomfortable.

"Easy, easy, nobodies gonna hurt you." She goes so still in that moment after he speaks, he thinks she listened, but then she's trying to throw punches, kicking out at him, fighting for her life.

It takes a moment, his gruff voice warning the others to stay back as he wrangles the soaked and slippery girl, finally her burst of adrenaline is waning and he pins her against his chest, her arms stuck to her sides as his cage her in until she cant budge her upper body. Her heavy wheezing is a sign there's still bad damage to her breathing, but she's calming.

"get-ff me!" Her tangled drying hair is in his face but he ignores it as he keeps his grip steady on her. Fingers gripping hard on her wrists as she tries to throw her head back to bust his nose.

"You need to calm down." Again she tenses and he thinks she's going to fight back again, he's ready, worried she'll pass out if she does.

"We just want to know your name child, and how you got in the water." Diana, voice accented and soft came as the woman stood before Jason holding the trembling girl. It wasn't hard to just look at the woman and want to do as she says, her voice always calming and soothing to those who needed the gentleness, but the girl only shrank back into Jason as much as she could, away from Wonder Woman as if she feared her.

"Fuck off! This is some sick joke right? Right?" She coughs, deep and he can feel the way her chest doesn't want to take a deep breath. "I get it, I ranted too much about how the Avengers would kick the League's ass in a real comic war, but come on!" The blank looks from the adults just made her rant more.

"Seriously, did Kate put you up to this? This is something she would do the fucking bitch...-another round of heavy coughing, gasping for air that won't come, Jason eases just a tiny bit to let her breath- I got to admit the costumes are top notch, real movie and cosplay worthy. But this is not okay! I almost drowned! And seriously, you got Another person dressed as red hood to save me? That's kind of sick!"

Jason looked up towards Bruce, the batman staring blankly at the girl for several moments before he whispered to Diana. The dark haired amazon nodded and briskly walked out of the medical room.

"Jason is going to release you, but don't try to run. We want some answers as to why you're here... and why you're wearing that." Bruce spoke, signalling to Jason to let the girl go. He didn't like it, the girl would get herself hurt worse than she would ever do any damage to any of them. But he did gently release her wrists and let her stand on her own feet, feeling the chill as her warmth slipped away from him.

"Look man, I don't know what happened okay? I must have gotten drunk and fell into the water I don't know. This?" she gestured to her wet and rumpled outfit. The red bat symbol peeling on the edges, her leather jacket heavy with water on her frame. "It's a costume. But seriously, can you take the masks off? You guys are freaking me out by staying in character." Her hips lean against the med table, arms shaky, she's barely standing on her own and Jason can see, and hear, the wheeze in her breathing.

Diana returns before anyone can say anything else, the golden glow of the Lasso of Truth in her grip. Jason watched the girl like a hawk, the way she tensed and narrowed her gaze at the rope and then at the adults around them. "What are you doing?"

Diana closed in on the girl and quicker than she could duck the golden rope was wrapping itself around her shoulders and torso. Jason flinched, just a bit, his hand had curled into a fist and he'd jerked forward a half step. Didn't like the look of fear on the girls face as she tugged on the rope holding her. He could see the way her eyes raged.

"Now child, what is your name." Diana held the end of the lasso tight in her grip, sure of the powers within the woven twine.

"Ashley Dodge." There was an anger to her voice, many knew it would be there. When one is subjected to the lasso, you have to tell the truth. Otherwise a burning pain would flow from the rope, forcing the truth from it's subject.

"Ashley, how did you end up in the ocean?"

"The... I wasn't anywhere near the ocean! How the fuck... I live in North Dakota!" The lasso glowed, but not with heat, she was telling the truth. "What is this shit?! This should be illegal!" She was struggling anew, fear gripping her. This time Jason did move, a few steps and his hand was on her shoulder, a calming squeeze to her trembling form.

Diana tightened the lasso, eyes narrowing down at Ashley. "Why do you say we're in costumes?"

"It's Halloween, I get some people go all out but seriously.."

"Ashley, it's December..." Bruce spoke as he came closer, sanding side by side to Diana. Many of the other members of the league were circled around them, confusion on their faces.

"What...? No... it's Halloween... it's October..." She sounded sure, positive. Confused someone would tell her another date, months from what she thought and knew as today.

"It's December Ashley..." Bruce crossed is arms in thought. "Ashley, are we ficticious to you?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?" Jason spoke for her, baffled by what Bruce had asked her. Bruce held up a hand to silence him.

"You guys are dressed like the Justice League... from the comics right?" From the looks she was getting, the sight of real armor and real leather. Weapons holstered to sides, the lasso around her torso ... Her eyes widened. "Right?"

"Ashley, we _are _the Justice League."


	5. Chapter 5

You could have heard a pin drop from a mile away. The way everyone froze and watched, waited to see how this girl would react to those words. Jason and Bruce watched closely, for any sign she would lose it and go postal. But the only thing that happened was an anguished sob released, she dropped to her knees. Her form crumbling into itself. Trying in vain to push herself against the medical table and hide from all the prying eyes. Her lips muttering, no, over and over again as she locked eyes with everyone in her line of vision.

Bruce looked over to Diana but the amazonian wasn't there, instead the dark haired woman was kneeling before Ashley. Her fraying costume still dripping onto the tiled floor and eyes wide as she looked up at the real Wonder woman. Diana's eyes filled with pity for the girl in front of her. "Child, it's alright."

"No! It's not! This is crazy..." Her voice wasn't loud but it was high pitched and throaty, trying so hard to hold back the emotion threatening to take over. "You guys don't exist!" Diana calmly nodded and waited Ashley out. This was strange for everyone, but Diana had experience herself in a way of this situation. When she was first exposed to the world around her, she hadn't known anything of it's origins or that anything was real, so different then what she knew.

"Deep breath, we are going to figure this out." Diana asked and Ashley did finally take the calm order. Her breath stuttering and wheezing. "Let's get you some dry clothes." Diana helped the girl up and without another look at any of the other adults, led Ashley out of the medical bay and deeper into the base. Knowing that a few moments to collect thoughts made all the difference in tense situations, that and the poor girls clothes were sticking to her like a second skin and there were quite a few teenage males around them.

Moments passed before many of the Leaguers started to talk all at once, Bruce silencing the shouting with a raised hand. "She obviously has no idea what happened to her. What does everyone think we should do?"

There were different responses, most of them wanting to put her up in the League base and others wanting her put in some sort of watched location. He took all the choices in mind, eyes watching around him as he heard and listened to everyone from the League. Man- Hunter had been silent the entire exchange and Bruce locked eyes with the alien, gesturing for him to speak his mind. His opinion was trusted in the group.

"Her mind is clear... she speaks the truth.." Dark alien eyes watching the wall, assuming the women were on the other side of it. "She poses no danger to us.."

"Other than knowing possibly all our identities!" Superman growled out. Many of the leaguers agreed.

Jason watched with arms crossed, still ignored by all these adults. Not liking any of their choices or suggestions. He didn't like leaving Diana with the girl either, but he wanted to know, to be here when the League made their choice and hopefully to stop something bad from happening. As Bruce finally glanced Jason's direction he caught the Batman's eyes and was stared down. "Jason." He straightened slightly as Bruce spoke his name, watching as all the adults turned to look at his broad bodied form, distrust blatantly clear in their eyes.

"You found her, and saved her. What's your opinion." Jason twitched under all the scrutiny, hated being the object in everyone's eyesight. None of these adults wanted his opinion, if not for his adoptive father figure asking the question, most would have him in jail any moment. But he did think on the question asked. The girl needed watched over, in case she was in fact a part of something bigger or someone came after her. But, she didn't deserve to be put in a holding cell or watched like a hawk by guards.

"She needs a safe place, to not feel like a prisoner. This place needed rebuilt and the League base is off planet." Bruce nodded, silently agreeing.

"Then it's decided, you'll watch over her while the League tries to figure out what happened to her and how she got here." Several voices raised but were quieted as they turned away, agreeing with Bruce's choice one way or another until the room was empty save for Batman, Jason and Man-Hunter.

"You can't be serious?!" Jason was furious, though not entirely sure why. He didn't watch over people, he stalked and killed and observed. He didn't watch over people, no.

"I don't trust anyone else to not do her any harm and also protect her. Someone brought her here, someone may very well try to get her back." That, or try to kill her. Since it was obvious that whoever had done this had in fact tried to off the poor girl. Bruce had been thinking he same thing, and it sobered them both to the fact that Jason was taught by Batman himself for years. Jason was his son.

Jason sighs and nods, scrubbing a hand over his face and feeling much older then his twenty two years. "Where am I taking her? My safe houses aren't made for guests, I don't think you want her in my territory right now."

"Take her home Jason." And with that Batman left the room with a soft rustle of his cape and a silence behind him. Because Jason knew exactly what that meant and he hated it, detested it. Home was a mansion in the most elite part of Gotham, home was a butler named Alfred who was more of a loving grandfather, home was a seven story manor with a bat cave hidden beneath the south-east wing in a cavern. Home was Wayne Manor.

"Fuck."


	6. Chapter 6

"Language Jason, please." Diana's accented voice came from the doorway, her long muscled arm curled over Ashley's shoulders in a motherly way as she led the young woman back into the medical room.

Without the form fitting, soaking wet leather pants, jacket and lycra outfit, she looked much smaller. Less darkness surrounded her and she cowered in her almost too big sweatshirt and yoga pants. Jason's eyes quickly realizing they must have been Kori's leftover from her time here in teh base, because Zatanna was too small and birdlike for anything to fit Ashley's curving tall frame.

"Ashley, I am leaving you in good hands." He watched as her eyes rounded and she gripped onto Diana's wrist with as much strength as she could, fear on her face. Jason isn't sure if it's directed at him personally, or if it's because she trusts Diana at this point and no one else. The amazon had a way with kids and teens, this was no exception.

"What? What's going on?" Voice still throaty, still wheezing and they both cringe at the sound. She's going to need that looked at thoroughly.

"Jason is taking you somewhere safe, young one." Diana reached and brushed back some damp locks of dark blonde hair back, much like a mother would a frightened child.

"But wouldn't I be safe here? We're in the Young Justice base right?" Eyes narrowed but no reprimand came. At some point, someone needs to sit down with her and see what exactly she knows about what.

"The base needs repaired and until it is finished there is a chance someone could get through the defenses here. " Diana's greek voice was soft as she calmed Ashley.

"Then..where am I going?" Jason stepped forward, closer to them. Ashley's head turned toward him and he narrowed his eyes. There was a strip of her bangs, lighter than the rest. Almost snow white against the deep almost brown blonde hair. He hadn't noticed it while her hair was dark with sea water and covered in ocean debris.

"Jason will watch over you." With that Diana patted her palm down Ashley's cheek and then swiftly left the room. Leaving Ashley alone with Jason Todd.

Several moments passed and Jason moved forward, gently, sort of, grabbed at the lock of white hair framing the side of her face. "Big fan?" He said it humorlously, a darkly sarcastic type of way. She pulled it from his grip.

"We've got a couple things in common.." She crosses her arms, curling in on herself and refuses to meet his gaze. Fine, whatever, he's not into talking much either right now, he's tired.

"Come on, long drive." He didn't look behind him to make sure she was following him. Instead listened for her scrambled footsteps and then the soft taps of her boots, still damp from the water, squishing behind him.

Soon his long legs had them out of the base, he raised his hand up gently to wave goodbye to his brother Tim and then they were outside of the compound. He hadn't thought about transportation, realizing he had drove in on his bike. No way she'd stay concious that long on a bike with her stumbled steps signaling her exhaustion.

But he didn't have to worry, somehow, someway... You know, he's not even gonna think about how the hell that happens. He's just glad to see Alfred standing by the Wanye town car, a soft smile on his face as he sees them come toward the sleek car.

"Master Jason, so good to see you and who might this be?" Alfred smiled kindly and offered his hand to Ashley who took it after long moments of staring at the older man's hand.

"Ashley, Dodge." She speaks her name, tugging her frizzing hair behind her ear and after Alfred releases her hand for her to wrap it back around her middle.

"Nice to meet you miss Ashley, but I think pleasantries can wait a bit longer. You look like you could use a hot bath and cup of tea."

"More like a shower and a glass of whiskey, but tea sounds nice." She smiled timidly back at Alfred and he chuckled. Jason rolled his eyes, climbed into the back seat of the towncar and sat on the bench behind the driver's seat. Ready to just go.

Alfred gestured for Ashley to enter the car, leaning in after she was seated he handed her a fluffy cream colored blanket. "It's a bit of a drive miss Ashley, please feel free to rest on the way." With the car door closed, locked and Alfred in the drivers seat, Ashley took a deep breath and rested the back of her head against the head rest.

Her mind was a mess, realizing she wasn't waking up from whatever dream or nightmare this had to be. She was in an expensive town car, hair damp, shoes ruined with sea water, her chest burned from near drowning, Alfred Pennyworth was driving her somewhere and Jason effing Todd was sitting across from her. You can't make this shit up.

Finally her eyes opened and she looked across the car, finding Jason's piercing blue gaze staring at her unblinking and who knew how long he had sat there doing that. She felt small under his gaze, scrutinized and judged. Small. She felt small under his glare, like a bug needing to be squashed or maybe a thug needing a beatdown.

"Why me?" He asked suddenly. voice hard.

"What?" She looked back at him, sitting up more in her seat and pulling the cream blanket over her lap. Her shoes kicked off so she could warm her toes under the fabric.

"Why'd you choose me? To dress up?" Ashley paused and looked at Jason, really looked at him. He's everything she expected to ever meet in the flesh but so different. He was tall, but wasn't lean like the comics made him out to be. His body was a solid brick shithouse of muscle, rounded biceps and his forearms were the size of her neck. Scars littered his exposed wrists from the rolled sleeves of his leather jacket. His hair was longer then she would have imagined. Reaching his chin, the white wisp of hair somehow hanging right along the bridge of his nose but he didn't seem to mind or care.

That white hair... it's what made her start to read his comics in the first place. She knew what it was like... to get that exact damage done to you. She fingers her white bangs, it wasn't dyed or bleached. It was real. Hair grown back after skin being ripped open and sewn back together. She couldn't think of an answer, not really. What was she supposed to say? Yeah, I was beaten near death by my brothers because daddy loved me more. Yeah, that'll go over well.

"I wanted to be badass, think I pulled off the leather pretty well."


	7. Chapter 7

Jason was silent after that, instead closing his eyes and slouching into his seat. He was tired. From the run on the wet beach carrying a full grown young woman, the stress of having his surrogate father try to push him back to values he no longer believed in, or the anxiety of being around so many good people in the Leagues, he didn't know. What he did know was he wanted to sleep for the next week and devour a large pepperoni and olive pizza by himself. He wondered how Rory was doing off by himself for the moment, he'd have to touch base with him in the morning. Explain what's going on and why he wouldn't be back for a while.

His body ached, all the time. Ever since his resurrection, every joint popped upon waking, every limb felt filled with lead and every muscle felt ready to rip apart sometimes. He never felt rested, so he took rest when he could. A good solid night sleep was a thing of dreams, so when Jason passes out, he passes out.

Ashley watches him from across the back of the car. The way he slouches to his side a bit, almost leaning on his elbow. Hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, the material well worn and supple from long term use and wear. Long thick legs and thighs, spread just slightly but booted feet planted firmly on the floorboards. If you looked in the right place, you could make out the outline of a gun in the waistband of his pants. She figured he could wake up, ready to fight at any second. He looked tired to her.

Alfred, bless his soul, rolled the glass window down and glanced into the backseat. Finding Ashley half awake, a slow wave of her hand as she tries to stay concious and Jason slumped against the other seat. As asleep as he could be in a moving car. Alfred knew Jason wold only awake to sounds of danger, so spoke quietly to Ashley.

"How are you feeling miss Ashley?" She raised her head, a hand rubbing at the base of her throat.

"My throat hurts pretty bad, I can't breath real deep either." Alfred nods.

"We'll have you looked over the moment as we arrive at the manor. In the mean time, there are water bottles under your seat to the right, in a drawer, please help yourself. I'm sure you're thirsty." For a moment she pauses and looks at him strangely.

"We're...going to Wayne Manor? The real Wayne Manor."

"Of course miss Ashley, you'll be quite safe there I assure you." Glancing back at her he sees Ashley look out the window before closing her eyes and sighing eeply.

"This is real then..." She whispers to herself, hands reaching for the water just where Alfred said it would be and downed an entire bottle before opening her eyes. Wishing it had been whiskey, or gin, or anything to numb her thoughts and make her mind stop screaming.

"Rest miss Ashley, we still have an hour or more to go." Alfred smiled at the young woman and tried to settle the war she was having with herself, but he couldn't do much but be kind to her.

She did finally settle down on the back seat, curled under the plush blanket and using her arm as a pillow. Alfred kept glancing back at them both. He hadn't seen Jason in months, and as always felt worry for the boy that was his grandson in everything but name and blood. Then to the poor young woman in the other seat, ripped from her entire world, quite literally, and pushed into this new one. One she would have never expected to exist. He wonders why she fears so much for this world, and worry settles heavy over his shoulders as he drives back home.


	8. Chapter 8

Wayne manor, was well... Wayne manor. It was grand, it was huge, it had gardens and garages and ballrooms and studies and libraries and blah blah blah blah blah. Look, we'll sit here all day and waste tons of characters trying to explain and paint the picture of the manor for you, we're not doing that. Besides, Ashley didn't even get to see it first hand. Seeing as how soon after trying to wake her from the back of the car, Jason couldn't get her up. Brow furrowed, he called for Alfred, Jason's fingers pressing on her throat. Her pulse was barely pumping, her breathing just. A drop of blood slowly seeping from the corner of her lips, lips that were turning pale.

"Alfred?!" Worry etched Jason's voice, that familiar split second of panic swelled for a moment in his chest. That feeling whenever his brother's were seriously injured, not just bumps or bruises. He pushes it back, couldn't panic, scooping Ashley into his arms, the blanket around her body. He could feel the lack of body heat from her, she was chilled.

"My word, take her into the cave, now Jason, she's dry drowning." Alfred quickly led the way, up the marbled grey steps and into the foyer. Forgoing the long way around to the main secret entrance, a little push on an old first edition of Moby Dick, sitting in a small shelf by the staircase. The stairs opened up, leading further down instead of up and Jason nearly tripped in his hurry to get down to the medical room in the cave.

He glanced down, finding her eyes wide, blown up and scared, her breathing staggering and wheezing, gasping and doing nothing but coughing up droplets of blood. 'Shit.' His boots slipping on the floor, finally he laid her down on the white table. Alfred already there and ready to get to work.

Jason didn't know what to do, his hands hovered over Ashley. "Jason, tilt her head back, keep her airway open for me." Alfred held a long breathing tube in his hands and Jason nodded, gently tipping back Ashley's chin, his other hands grasping both of hers. She was trying to push at their hands, fear in her eyes but to weak to do anything about it.

"It's okay, we gotta get you breathing, stay calm." Her eyes glanced up, tired, exhuastion evident but she blinked in answer and only winced as the breathing tube was forced down her throat to her airway. She doesn't stay concious long after that.

"Better that way, she won't feel any of this." Jason isn't sure what really goes on next, his medical knowledge is basic. How to stitch himself back up, reset joints and ribs. That's about it, but he doesn't let go of her hand, even though she lost her grip ages ago. He can't get that look of fear out of his mind.

A pat on his shoulder had him jerking out of his trance to a worn out Alfred. He was drying his hands on a clean cloth, watching the heart moniter and breathing tube do it's job beside the med table. "She's stabilized, I think most of the fluid is gone from her lungs."

"Why did that happen? I watched Aquaman pull water from her lungs earlier." Jason finally let go of her hand, tucking it under the blanket still wrapped around her middle. Her skin felt chilled.

"In some cases, you can absorb too much water and it flows through your system before coming back to the lungs, in that case the lungs fill back up with liquid from the body. Dry drowning."

"So, she's okay now?" Jason crossed his arms, eyes watching the white steak in her hair as it framed her face to one side.

"Yes, I believe so, she might be under a day or so but should wake up soon. She might panic with the breathing tube in, but nothing we can do until that happens." Jason nods and breathes a gentle sigh of relief. He didn't know the girl , but he saved her, she was under his protection right now. This was on him, he had enough of the League breathing down his neck already. Her death would only add to it. He spoke a soft thank you to Alfred as the older man left and took a seat in the office chair, propping his feet up onto the counter to watch her sleep.

His back ached from sleeping in the car, but he refused to leave her alone. For the simple pure fact that Damian was literally six feet away, hiding in the hallway and waiting for an oppurtunity to sneak in and find out or himself what was going on and who this was. Jason didn't have many answers for his little brother and honestly, he didn't care. He'd shoot the little fuck if he came in here right now. He wanted a nap and he was going to take one, gun in hand and pointed toward the only door.

"Not tonight demon spawn."


	9. Chapter 9

Beeping, beeping.

Beep, beep.

No, it was a blip, not a beep...

Blip, blip, yeah that was it...

Wait... What IS that?

Slowly coming to consciousness, Ashley felt the cold more than anything, she felt like she was freezing. Her fingers, toes, even her nose was chilled. She hated being cold. But as she took a deeper breath, preparing to yank the covers over her head, she winced in pain as her throat constricted around something. Panic set in fairly quickly as she opened her eyes to a brightly lit room, a plastic mask on her lower face and mouth kept open slightly as a thick tube came out of her lips. With a whimpering groan she tried to reach up and pull the tube out, only for a very large hand to grip her wrist from doing what she wanted.

"Easy doll, easy, you're alright." Eyes squinting in the bright area, Ashley finally found Jason standing over her, he kept her wrist in his grip, his eyes scanning the machines around them. All hooked up to her somehow. What the hell had happened? Her other hand raised, gripped at Jason's wrist and squeezed, her eyes wide and begging him to explain. "Your lungs filled up again when we got here, Alfred got you stabilized. You've been asleep for about...nineteen hours now." Confusion gripped her features and Jason noticed.

She couldnt speak for the tube down her throat, so she squeezed his wrist again. She wanted to know if she'd be okay, if this was going to happen again. He must have understood, or guessed amazingly. Because he shook his head. "No, Alfred said you'd be fine once you can breath again on your own." Relief flooded Ashley and she nodded a tiny bit, laying back and relaxing from her stiff posture laying on the bed. She released his hand, reaching up to poke at the tube and mask on her face. "Don't touch it." He scolded and you looked up, his voice didn't match his eyes, it felt like he'd said that before. To someone else.

Moments later Alfred made his presence known, having in fact witnessed the entire exchange by accident, however he'd never say it out loud that he was eavesdropping. He hadn't heard Jason say that many words that close together in a long time. "Ah, you're awake, how are you feeling?" He chuckled when Ashley raised an eyebrow and pointed at the breathing tube and heart monitor, then gave a thumbs up, as if saying, 'How the fuck do you think?'

"Let's get this out, it will scrap and burn a bit as it does and I am sorry but not much to do about it miss Ashley," pressing the button to move her down to lay straight back, Ashley nodded, wincing a bit as Alfred unhooked the IV drip first and the went to remove the breathing tube. "Ready?" She nodded and closed her eyes, hands gripping the blanket at her sides as Alfred had to slowly extract the tube from her windpipe and lungs. It burned.

Once it was gone and she had taken a much needed sip of water, a sip mind you becuase fuck if she gets near a drop more than that she might drown again, and sat up she felt much better. Like she got pulled into a tsunami and slammed into some cliffs, but you know, she was good. Her hand rubbed at her throat, and couldn't hold back the whimper at the gentle touch that sent shock waves of pain through her chest. It was still hell to breath.

"Owww.." Her voice is croaky, wheezy and low. Like she'd been without a drink for days. Technically, she had.

"If you don't mind," Alfred came closer, stethoscope in hand and already to his ear. Ashley nodded, sat up more and tried to breath deep when the man asked, she couldn't take one though. Could hardly take a shallow one, but she was breathing on her own, just had to work for it. "Hmmm, no triathlons for you dear, and no stairs either." Ashley nodded, still wheezing gently. Her hands shaking the slightest bit.

"Jason will carry you up into your room, I don't want you walking far until you can breath correctly." Ashley blushed, because she'd already been carried who knows how many times already by Jason, he must be getting sick of it by now.

"I..I'm fine.."

Alfred pursed his lips and Jason knew the moment the man went into grandfather mode and no longer butler mode. "Now miss Ashley, unless you want that tube a permanent part of your outfit, I suggest you let Jason carry you upstairs." His tone was no nonsense and Ashley's eye widened at the tone, nodding to the older grey haired man as he left the medical rooms.

Ashley glanced up at Jason, he was leaning his hip on the counter top, arms crossed but he looked relax and didn't seem to be in any hurry. So Ashley sat up more on the plastic covered bed, testing out taking deeper breaths and wincing when she just couldn't do it. Her hands gripping and trying to detangle her wild blond mane. The stripe of white as long as the rest of it, reaching nearly to her breasts.

He wondered if it was dyed, but by the look of it, the softness it seemed to have, it was real, just like his own. Then he wondered, how she got it. But that's a story for another time, and she looked hungry and tired. "Com'on, get you upstairs and out of the cold." He stood, waited as she bent her knees and he scooped her up like she weighed next to nothing.

The way to the main house, now there was no emergency, was through the Batcave and up the metal staircases that led to entrances throughout the house. Jason had seen it a million times in his life already, knew every nook and cranny. The places to hide when you stalked Nightwing, the best vantage points for a nerf gun to hit Bruce in the back of the head. But Ashley had only seen it in movies, comics. Halfway drawings and sketches on online forums from fans. It was more than what she had imagined and exactly like it should have been portrayed. However she wasn't given much time to admire or even explore, being as Jason swiftly took the stairs and they were back into the mansion above in no time.

As they crested the platform and the hidden wall was sliding into place Jason's grip tensed on her form and he dashed to the floor, cradling Ashley to his chest and curling around her with his massive bulk. "Damian you little fucking demon spawn!"

Ashley peeked from Jason's bicep to see a small boy, maybe early teenage years, standing at the end of the long hallway, sharp knife twirling in his fingertips and an angry expression on his face.

"You little shit, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Jason growled as he stood, never once losing his grip on Ashley as he righted his figure. The boy said nothing, only narrowed his eyes at them.

"Your'e slower Jason, must be all the extra weight." With that insult Ashley is narrowing her own gaze but the boy is gone into the shadows of the next room and vanished into the massive house.

"Little..." Jason growls and continues on his way, ignoring the sharp serrated knife that was embedded two inches into the polished wood flooring. "That would be Damian."

"The hellspawn from Bruce sleeping with Talia?" Jason slowed in his footsteps to look down with a raised eyebrow. She shrugs and he does too, both of them not feeling up to the talk of how she knows that, or what else she may know, at the moment.

"Yeah." He said no more and continued into the massive house, climbing up another set of wide steps and into a wing of bedrooms. Ashley's gaze was fixed on her surroundings, staring wide eyes at the molding, the walls and paintings and the small tables and bookshelves filled with who knows how many first editions and tomes.

Glancing to a dark wooden door, second from the right, Jason looked away and kept moving. Going toward the end of the hall on the left, and away from his old set of rooms. Alfred had put her in their wing of the manor and he wasn't exactly sure why. She could have been just as comfortable in the guest wing of the house, but he wouldn't question it. It just made it easier to come to her aide in case demon spawn tried anything while he wasn't around.

Carrying her into the open doorway, Jason moved around the room with ease, stooping down to gently set her on the arm chair by the wide bay window. Once she was seated and out of his arms he stood and looked around like she was doing, taking in the room and then finally her breath caught as she looked outside. This wing of the house was designed to be away from the front, so instead of a winding driveway and fountains, the view was of the wilds behind the manor and the gardens in the back. Everything covered in a light layer of snow, ice dripping slightly in the afternoon sunlight, only for it to freeze all over again with the next nights frost and cold.

Ashley stood on weak legs and walked over to the window seat, still carrying that cream colored blanket from nearly two nights before before as she looked out the glass. "This isn't a dream..." Jason tilted his head and decided to stay with her, for just a minute longer. So he slumped into the arm chair she had just vacated, watching her watch the outside world.

Neither really knew what to say at the moment, Ashley was caught up in trying to comprehend, yet again, that she was in a comic based world. And Jason was trying to understand how the hell that could have even happened. "Thank you." Her words made him shake from his trance and relaxed posture, he sat up more and scrubbed a hand over his face and neck.

"No big deal, doing my job." He instead looked at the paintings on the walls.

"Yeah it is, but you found me...somehow. So thank you, because I'd probably be dead now." She looks back out the window, a soft chuckle from her lips as she tries to catch her breath once more. "Saved by Jason fucking Todd, if this wasn't scary as fuck, I'd be pretty damn excited."

Jason raised an eyebrow, simply watching and waiting for her to continue speaking. But she didn't, and he saw why when her hand went to her chest and she closed her eyes, trying to even her breathing out from only a few short sentences. He sat up and narrowed his gaze, ready to call for Alfred if needed but soon she took a shuddering breath and was calm again.

"Get settled, I'll come get you when dinner's ready." Jason walked from the room, gently closing the thick wooden door and let Ashley have some time to herself where she wasn't unconscious or on a medical table. Ashley turned her face back toward the window, taking in the icy beauty outside. Felt the light chill coming from the glass, it was freezing outside. December.

Her chest hurt and her lungs burned, every breath seemed to be struggle but she kept breathing, kept inhaling and exhaling. She couldn't panic anymore, or freak out, this was real. The ache in her chest and the warmth of the blanket around her shoulders proved that much. She wasn't sure how she got here, or what the hell some kind of god was doing to her, but she was alive. Thanks to Jason.

"Why me..."


	10. Chapter 10

Ashley explored the bedroom, taking small steps and trying to keep her breathing at a steady pace. It was hard, when she saw the rows of books in the shelves or the big screen television that popped out of the wall. Or the closet that had clothes piled into it, all her size and all still had the tags on them, they didn't actually...buy her an entire closet did they? She'd never seen so much packed into the walk in space. She didn't even own that many shirts or sweaters, not to mention the pants and leggings. Deciding to get out of the grungy clothes she was in, she picked out a sweater and jeans and made her way into the bathroom.

"Holy hell..." The shower was one of those kind you see in magazines, all real stone and several shower heads sunk into the wall and even a couple on the ceiling. It only took her a few moments to shed the sweats and turn on the water.

Enjoying it was another thing entirely, she figured it would be nice to get clean and warm up her toes. But the moment the water started pouring down around her, she felt ...constricted. The sprays from all the different directions caused her to think she was deep in the water again and panic set in. She barely got the soap from her hair before she turned the water off, slipping down the smooth stone wall to sit on the shower floor. Her breath coming in short pants and her lungs burned with the effort to breath deep.

She was there a long time, because a soft knock on the bedroom door sounded into the silence around her. Her breathing even as much as it was earlier, blonde hair damp but skin drying and she felt a chill on her flesh. The knock came again, a bit more insistent and she carefully stood.

"Just a sec.." She hoped whoever it was would hear her soft call, her voice was rasping and sounded like she'd been crying for hours. Dressing quickly she made her way to the door of the bedroom, out of air already and it becoming increasingly annoying to her. With a puff she opened the door some to find Bruce Wayne standing there, Bruce Wayne.

"Ashley." Bruce nods and offers his elbow to the young girl, waiting for her to shake herself from her thoughts and take his arm. Slowly he matches her pace down the hall. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap.." She rasps, wincing at how weak it sounds compared to her usual loud octave. The nervousness didn't help, this was Bruce Wayne, the Bruce Wayne. Escorting her down the hall to what she assumes to dinner, in the Wayne manor.

"The League investigated the shoreline and went inward to find where you had potentially been under." His voice was deep, yet softer than the one he used while under the cowl. Her eyes glanced up and up, tall much? Into the gaze of Bruce.

"Did you...find anything..."

"It's difficult to propose anything right now but yes, we found something." They had reached the stairs but instead of him going to lift her up or even go near the first step he turned and they headed toward a hidden staff elevator. Huh, Jason didn't really need to carry her up did he?

"And?"

"There is a sort of portal that opened up, certain planets aligned and it's the League's thinking that the planets aligned correctly in your world, thus opening the portal." Silence as she took in what he had said.

"So...I'm here by some freak chance?" Bruce seemed to shrug in that subtle way he does, a little flinch of his shoulder as the doors opened and he continued to slowly lead her the long way around to the dinning room. Giving her time to process.

"We'll do everything we can to find you a way back Ashley." He thought maybe that would assuage her, and it did to an extent. But they both knew, like Bruce wouldn't say, that the chance of her getting back was slim to nonexistent.

Ashley nodded to him, her anxiety of the situation getting to her as her breathing became more like wheezing and Bruce's brow furrowed. "I think a trip to a breathing specialist in the morning would favor your condition." She didn't argue with him only nodded again as she reigned in her emotions and blew a soft breath from her nose as she calmed.

The dining room doors opened and Alfred made himself a mess by checking on Ashley, tilting her chin up to check her throat again, checking her pulse by her wrist and the sound of her soft wheezes. With a nod it seemed to himself he tugged Ashley free of Bruce's arm and sat her down at the table, pushing her chair in, setting a napkin in her lap before she could even say hello.

"I'm afraid it will just be broth for a day or two miss Ashley, don't want to aggravate your throat anymore." Ashley sighed but nodded at Alfred, giving him a thankful smile and finding it harder to speak, her windpipe burning more than before.

Looking up from the place setting she noticed Jason to her left, a bored expression on his face as he fiddled with his silverware, real silverware. A place down and across was Damian. The dark haired teen was slouched in his chair to the side, staring her down with such animosity, Ashley shrunk back a little bit, hiding behind Jason's bulk beside her. She remembered the knife that had been sunk into the floor earlier.

She didn't wish to be rude, the kid could kill her if he really wanted to. But Bruce cut in, taking his seat at the head of the table. "Damian, manners. We have a guest." Though the boy only sat up straighter, he still completely ignored Ashley and she was fine with that.

Dinner was awkward, to say the very least. Ashley was hungry and upset a bit about being on liquids, but Alfred's cooking was just about to die for, so she focused on finishing as much as she could without acting like a slob. Halfway through, Bruce and Jason talking about something that Ashley wasnt paying attention to, Ashley felt something wet touch her ankle.

With a soft eep, Ashley pushes herself from the table some. Only for a giant coal grey head to pop up from between her knees to look at her. The giant of a dog was simply staring, pushing into her personal bubble and she could feel the sudden silence around her.

"Damian... call Titus off... Now." Bruce's voice was deep and commanding, directing it at his youngest son but the teen only shrugged and sighed. Refusing to actually call the dog away from Ashley.

The way they all acted it was like the dog was something to be afraid of, but all Ashley saw was bright eyes and the pointiest ears she's ever seen in her life. Before anyone could tell her not to, she reached out to let the giant great dane sniff at her hand and then reach further to scratch at his under jaw. "Hey there gorgeous.." Her voice rasped.

Everyone was in silence for several more moments, Titus leaned forward, licked a slobbery tongue up Ashley's cheek then vanished back under the table only to appear back at Damian's side. Sitting still and ears perked, waiting for his nightly bite of food from his young master.

Jason broke the silence by chuckling softly until it became an outright laughing fit. It was over quickly but he wiped at his eyes and smirked at Damian's rage filled face. "Watch it spawn, she might steal the mutt from you." Damian only glared back, returning to his meal and ignoring his older brother and the girl at the table.

Ashley raised an eyebrow, lost on the situation but the way everyone seemed to ignore what just happened, so did she. Instead going back to her dinner, not so subtly watching Jason from the corner of her eyes. The bats at the table could see it very clearly, and if you knew Jason or any of the boys very well, you knew that Damian was giving Todd a side look of mockery. Demon spawn.

"Would you care for some ice cream miss Ashley?" Alfred appeared from nowhere at her side, taking away the nearly finished bowl of broth she had been slowly eating. Ice cream sounded heavenly, anything to help the burn deep in her throat.

"Yes please." Alfred smiled and nodded, vanishing once again behind the double doors leading into the kitchen, soft sounds of clinking dishes and doors opening from behind it.

Ashley looked back to find Damian staring her down. Knife and fork placed down, his entire body turned in his chair to glare at her. His gaze was unblinking and it was unsettling. She knew the boy from the comics was an angry child and always looking to make Bruce proud of him, but he had a tendency to kill and ask questions later. Other than that, she wasn't sure about the kid at all, to be honest he scared her a little bit.

"Why is she here again, father?" Damian's head turned to Bruce and the man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. As if Damian's outright disregard of manners, or the fact that Ashley was right there, didn't matter to him.

"Damian, we are not speaking about this now." Bruce sat down his dinner napkin and placed his elbows on the edge of the table, connecting his fingertips as he looked at his youngest son.

"Yes yes, she's in need of watching over and medical attention, but why is she here? In the manor?" Damian refused to leave it be, crossing his arms almost like a petulant child.

"It's none of your business spawn, Bruce wanted her here so she's here." Jason stood, his mood soured visibly and before Ashley could really give her opinion, Jason almost gently took her elbow and started to pull her from the dining room. Alfred met them moments after in the hallway, handing Ashley the small bowl of vanilla ice cream and giving a tired smile that said he knew what had happened.

"Is he always...?'

Jason finished for her, "A total little prick? Yeah, all the time."


	11. Chapter 11

Jason started walking and without a clue as to where her room was, Ashley followed him. Ice cream bowl in her hand and taking small bites as they traveled down the halls. She hadn't taken notice before, but there were holiday decorations all over the place. Holly and wreaths on doors, lights strung up around bannisters and up the stone pillars, creating a soft warm glow of mulitcolored sparkles across the wide open spaces. Small ferns decorated like tiny christmas tress. All of it.

Ashley's feet slowed and she stopped to glance into what seemed to be a giant library. It went up several stories, ladders and staircases all over the place. Warm looking couches and high backed leather chairs by small tables and reading lamps. But her eyes landed on the giant tree in the middle of the room. Standing tall and strong, straight as a board. It was tasteful, the colors blending well with the no doubt expensive baubles and blown glass ornaments. The kind you pay high money for and cry for hours if you somehow beak the delicate things. Homemade ornaments spattered throughout the boughs.

It reminded her of home. To her, it was just after Halloween, but here...it was Christmas time. Presents sat under the tree, the holly and mistletoe spread over every doorway was fresh and hadn't started to wilt yet. Jason came to her side but she didn't notice as she sat down the bowl and went closer to the tree. Her hand stretching out but not daring to touch the ornaments precariously perched on every limb.

"Got any family?" His voice was lower then she'd heard it yet and it forced her gaze move from the tree to his face, seeing how there's some scarring along the underside of his jawline, old and faded.

"Yeah..." Another wheezing word from her lips, it was getting a little worse. Jason nodded, picking up her bowl of icecream, his hand on her lower back and guided her into one of the couches near the big tree she was so fasicnated with. Handing it back to her, because he knows that scent and it's Alfred's special homemade ice cream he makes only around christams time, Jason urges her to go on.

"They're not much to talk about."

"You seem to know quite a bit about all of us. So let's even the playing field?" His face has a bit of a smirk, something that, if you look a bit and squint your eyes, you can see it used to be boyish.

"My mom's dead." She takes a bite of icecream like she'd just said it was going to snow. "I don't know what happened, I just know she's dead." She shrugs, it's a kind of nonchalance to the way she does it. But, she never even knew what the woman looked like. So there was no love lost in the knowledge.

"Alright, what about you father? Siblings? Crazy cousin Leon?" that got a soft chuckle from her and she takes another bite of the ice cream.

Her face sort of changes, gets this faraway look for just a second, like she's living through a slew of memories in a single blink of her eyes. Then it's gone and she's got a false smile on her lips that doesn't reach her eyes and he knows the next words out of her mouth are going to be either lies or false truths.

"My father died a few years back, lung cancer. We always told him they would kill him one day, and I have three half brothers, we don't talk much." With that, her treat was finished and she set the bowl down gently on the deep colored table beside the couch, her gaze once again to the tree before her.

Jason nodded, could feel the way she did not want to talk about it, so he left it be. He barely knew her, he wouldn't pry much into her head right now, but he was watching her intently. Every move, facial tick and flicker of her eyes, he watches. Like she's watching him, but she wasn't that good at it, peeking glances at him through the curtain of her hair with those bright eyes of hers. It didn't help she blushed when he caught her looking, causing her cheeks to tinge pink and her teeth to worry her bottom lip at the corner. He may have preened a bit, muscles in his arm growing taut, matbe flexed a tiny bit. Just a bit. Nah.

"I get that, not wanting to talk with your brothers.." He leans back into the couch, enjoying the warmth of the mansion and relaxing as he takes in the library, he hasn't spent a Christmas here in a few years. He forgot how much Alfred really went all out on the decorations. If he looked just right, Jason could see the homemade ornament he'd made for Bruce when he was still a kid who believed in dreams.

"Yeah, bet you do." She lets her breath huff out a distastful sound and he raises an eyebrow, just enough for her to notice that he had taken her reaction a different way then she pictured he would. That screen she kept pulling up over her features made no difference to her demeanor no matter how hard she tried. It was like a screen door instead of the brick wall she thought it was. Seeing still fairly clearly through it instead of blocking out the view completely.

"Half brothers, huh?" He looks at the empty bowl and sort of wishes he'd asked for a treat as well. Curiousity got to him, she didn't like to talk about it, the look on her face was evident of that and he'd like to go further but her voice was becoming hoarser the longer he had her talking. Bruce was right she needed to see a specialist. "Well, I for one am glad there is no actual blood between me and demon spawn, I'd die...agian.'

And that had the reaction he was hoping for, instead of her eyes going wide and her at a loss as to what to say, she smirked and then held her hand over her mouth as she held back a little giggle. "I should NOT laugh.."

"Nah, it's cool, I did die and everything.." He's joking and she KNOWS he's joking and she doesn't act like it's some awful thing to be joking about. Hell, it's the only thing he can joke about anymore and make himself laugh about it, he has to. But her giggle turned into a coughing fit which made her start wheezing and rasping at her chest for breath that wouldn't fill her lungs.

"Jeeze, don't you die too." Finally she calms, reaching up to wipe at her eyes where they had been starting to water and there's a smile on her face even though she's wheezing horribly. "Alright, it's late." He helped her stand, instead of offering his arm like Bruce had, Jason placed a gentle hand on the small of her back and led her back through the winding house, up the elevator and down the hall of bedrooms.

With Ashley's door closed, Jason stood in the hallway for several long moments. His gaze moving to the door a few down from hers, a familiar heavy door. A deep sigh escaped his lips and he headed in that direction, it was slow the way he opened the door and glanced inside. Everything was pretty much as he'd left it, the dirty clothes had been picked up and there wasn't a speck of dust. But it felt cold and empty, he hadn't stepped foot in here in what felt like a decade. The bed was still made up in yellow and black covers, the desk and his now ancient laptop sat by the window, shelves of his favorite books along the far wall and his closet door ajar. He didn't dwell on it, instead shedding his clothes of the day, still smelling of salt and water. He'd never left Ashley's side, fearful of what Damian could do in his absence, he wanted a hot shower and sleep. So he did just that.


	12. Chapter 12

Come morning Ashley was having the worst time yet trying to breath. She'd woken with the dawn, too wired and mind moving to get much more sleep than that. Tried to make it down the hall to that elevator, but halfway there she started to wheeze horribly. Her knees buckling and she leaned strongly into the wall until her legs folded undeneath of her. Panic set in, making it so much worse. Her chest was tight, like a vice about her lungs and her windpipe burning. One of her hands closes on her throat to knead the flesh, the other starts to slap the wood floor beneath her, trying to wake someone or alert anyone nearby to her distress.

Footsteps thumping on the floor, if she could sigh with releif she would have, but her vision is tunneled with the effort to breath. All she knows is someone kneeling at her side for a moment, they say something she can't undertsand and then they're gone. Wait, gone?! What the fuck!? Her palm slaps at the floor again, ignoring the stinging on her skin and tears running down her face as she wheezes and gasps.

"Easy, I need you to take a deep breath." Were they crazy? She couldn't even pant! But she tried, she tried so hard. Something was pushed between her lips and she felt a spray of air at the back of her throat, the surprise managed to force her airway to take in a half breath before coughing. A hand rubbed at her back gently over her lungs.

Breathing did become less difficult after a few more minutes of barely filling a lung, but her vision cleared and she could see who helped her. Jason was on his knees beside her, blue green depths watching her closely. Ashley leaned back against the wall and let her breathing calm. It was hard. To no panic again, this was scaring her, she'd never had trouble breathing all her life. She was active, very active. Breathing easily was needed for her passions.

Jason moved from his knees to sit beside her against the wall, his shoulder a few inches from her own, he just looked at the wall across from them and handed her something small.

"Tim needed it when he was little, looked like you were having an asthma attack." The little device in her hands was an inhaler. The simple kind that was a pale blue color, a little cap over the mouthpiece and number counter on ther bottom to track how many doses were left. An inhaler...

She murmurs out a soft 'fuck' and Jason likes that she has a mouth on her, so many women he knows are too uptigt to let loose when things are rough. She's having it more than rough right now, ripped from her home the way she was and in a place she didn't think could exist. But hell, he died and was brought back to life from a pit thanks to a group of assassins and magic. Anything was possible.

"You good?" She takes a moment to nod, the back of her head thunking on the wall gently. Jason goes to help her stand, and instead of the elevator he gathers her up in his arms. The stairs floated under his bare feet and once in the main wing he makes his way to the library. "Stay," he points to her to sit on the couch, a flare of fire in her eyes flashes in his vision. But she sits, crossing her arms, she goes to open her mouth and he stops her with a hand over her mouth, lips and all. "Speaking from past experiences, don't talk right after a bretahing attack, just stay calm and dont get worked up. I'll be right back."

Ashley relents, nodding behind his hand, but she still crosses her arms defiantly. Jason turns, instanly wanting to find either Bruce or Alfred to get that doctor over as soon as possible. As he leaves, Ashley watches intently. She hadn't even noticed what Jason had been wearing, and she was not dissapointed with the view. Taut flesh was sprouting from a tight shirt that looked soft as silk, paired with the kind of low hanging black sweatpants that only seem to be in romance novels and fanfiction. Damn, even his ass was perfect. Ashley hasn't realized she'd followed his movemnts until he vanished behind the open doors and she fell onto the coffee table for how far she had been leaning over.

"Get a grip.." She whispered to herself, rubbing the side of her forearm where she'd caught herself on the coffee table. The silence was deafening around her, the too large room and the too high ceilings. Tapping her fingers on the arm of the couch she blew a breath through her nose, it hurt and she winced, hating how every movement of her lungs caused her pain.

Minutes passed and she grew bored, not caring about how she just had a breathing attack, Ashley stood, carefuly, to scan over some of the shelves close by. Novels and tomes stacked neatly into shelves of deep cherry wood, polished to shine and almost dust free. Her chest ached along with her heart beat, like a pulse of acid with every beath. But she kept her slow perusal of the shelves she could see. Making it maybe ten feet away before her windpipe tightened and she had to grip the back of an overstuffed leather chair for support.

"You don't take directions well, do you?" Jason's voice came from the doorway as he made his way to her. He could see the way her neck and exposed skin of her collarbones were flushed, brows furrowed he pulled her back to the couch and sat her down. A hand ran through his chin length hair to brush it back from his face, the white streak fitfully landing on the bridge of his nose and he left it there, ignoring it.

"Alfred called the doctor, they'll be here in an hour. Think you can stay alive that long?" The smirk on his lips made her roll her eyes and nod, she wanted to speak but the thought of forming words and breathing through talking sounded too much work at this point. Though, she was curious to what was actually wrong with her throat to hurt this much. She'd been dunked underwater before, had choked on her fair amount of pool water too, but this hurt, badly.

Ashley nods, sighing through her nose a bit, her back leant onto the couch and she crossed her arms. Her gaze wandered back to Jason who was watching her with a slight amused expression, she raised an eyebrow and gestured to the white steak of his hair and then to her nose. She hadn't even noticed her lock had fallen into her face, so used to it doing that so often. But hers was much longer than Jason's shoulder length cropped hair and reached well below her chin, nearing the swell of her breasts.

Jason sat for a another minute before scrubbing a hand over his face and then cupped the side of his neck. "Look, the League are going to want answers. I know you're pretty confused, fuck we all are, but just don't lie okay? Lying will only cause problems and they'll make it hard on you. The only reason you're here and not crammed into a holding cell on the main base is because Bruce wanted this kept close to the chest."

Ashley's face paled considerably and she sat up straight, eyes wide at the thought of being thrown into a cell for something she didn't do or things she would never attempt. She didn't know anything, DC comics weren't her forte like Marvel were. She had a few series though, mainly Jason's storyline, Richard's and few rare issues. A lot of Teen Titans and some older ones from the fifties, but she didn't follow Justice League. Not caring for the way the characters were writtent or the skimped over backgrounds.

"Hey, hey. Slow breaths." She had started to panic once more and Jason was really tired of her freaking out, but he could understand, didn't mean he had to like it though. He didn't do that whole, worried and help thing very often.

"I don't...know...much.." He nods at her words and coaches her through some deep breathing until she's soothed again and she wipes at the wetness of her eyes.

"How about some coffee?" Ashley nearly groaned at the thought of caffine but her dreams of sugary bliss were ruined when Alfred came through the door.

"I'm afraid caffine is out if the question miss Ashley, at least until the doctor clears you for the hot drink." There's a gleam in his eye Ashley doesn't notice but Jason does, and the moment he realizes how close he's sat next to the dark blonde haired woman, he scoots up and stands nonchalantly, facing toward the other way so Alfred can gloat silently.

Jason cleared his throat made some excuse that he needed to put clothes on and vanished through another doorway. Chuckling softly Alfred walked to Ashley and set down the small sivler tray, a cup of warm tea was sat on the tray. "Tea with honey and lemon, a fine home remedy for a sore throat. Though I believe it is more than a bit sore, I think this should help soothe the ache?" Ashley nodded gratefully, a soft thank you mouthed on her lips. The drink did help ease her throat.

"Master Bruce should be back shortly as well as the doctor, why don't I escort you back to your room and you get ready for the day?" He offered his elbow and with a small smile lead Ashley through the decorated corridor and to the small service elevator. "I know this is difficult for you miss Ashley, but do know you're in good hands here, and that you are as safe as can be."

Even though it burned, Ashley spoke back to the kind butler, "Thank you Alfred, I know that being here is the best place. Hopefully they'll figure out a way for me to go home, and I won't be in your hair anymore."

Alfred shook his head and in a moment of him being a grandfather and father figure for amy years, not a butler, he reached out and brushed the white lock of her hair behind her ear, tucked her chin up from her staring at the floor and smiled comfortingly at her. "Wether that happens or not, you are very welcome here Ashley. There's a smile, besides, I believe Jason is attached to you, he hasn't been home in years. Thank you for bringing him back to us." Alfred smiled at her balked exression and ushered her into her room with a comment to get ready and be careful.

Confusion set on her features but Ashley had long since stopped trying to understand men and their ways or even why they acted the way they did. Instead she got dressed, carefully, into slim fitting jeans, a real honest to god cashmere sweater in deep black and ballet flats. She'd have to ask where in the world they had gotten these clothes so quickly, but thinking about Alfred, it made sense, man was a magician when it came to things like this.

Her hands were threading her thick, heavy hair into a side braid, the dark blonde meshing with the stripe of creamy white through the knots, when a soft knock came to the door. Jason was on the other side, his hand raised to knock once more. Ashely raised an eybrow as he glanced her over, let out a low whistle and a smirk appeared on his lips. He leaned his shoulder onto the doorframe and once more the realization of how fucking huge Jason was hit Ashley. His head nearly reached the top of the doorjam, and his shoulders spread nearly the entire width of the frame. Wide muscled arms were barely contained inside a deep red colored long sleeve shirt, his jeans hugged his thighs and hips, Jason was in fact thic.

"Damn, you looked good half drowned, hella fine with bedhead, but dollface, you are gorgeous." Her cheeks tinged pink under his gaze, not really sure if he was joking or actually serious, her hind brain loved the compliments, she knew she was pretty good to look at, but her actual brain was freaking out, fangirling into the extreme. So her mouth couldn't form words and she sputtered for a second before shaking her head and saying a soft thank you.

"Come on, doc's here." Downstairs Jason led her to a different room. Not the library but down another hallway and into a clinical looking room. Maybe it had been a small parlor at some point but it looked to have been converted into a nurses station. At their appearence Bruce offered his hand to Ashley which she took and the man led her to the exam table.

The woman that came in wasn't who Ashley was expecting, actually she didn't know what to expect. But the middle aged woman wearing a simple set of nurses scrubs, wasn't it. "Ashley, this is doctor Hayes, she's the family doctor." Alfred introduced the smiling woman and Ashley shook her hand.

"Okay let's get right to it, Bruce explained what happened and honey, I am surprised you are even sitting here right now. Five minutes unconsious underwater should have killed you. Or even delayed your brian funcion. But you were under nearlt thirteen minutes." Ashley could only shrug up her shoulders and lift her hands as if to say, I got no clue either doc. Her eyes glanced to Jason, leaning his shoulder on the wall and watching them before back to the doctor. The stethascope was cold and Ashley did gasp softly as Hayes placed it just above her heart on bare skin. "Hmm, doesn't sound like any fluid is left, which is good, but.."

"But something doesn't sound right?" Bruce asked from the side and Hayes nodded.

"Think of sand rolling over sandpaper, her body pushed out all the moisture it could and now her lungs are dry, the tissues rubbing where they shouldn't be. Deep breath dear, deep as you can, nice and slow." Ashley tried and had difficult, her grip tight on the edge of the exam table as she struggled to fill her lungs. It burned so much.

"And you had an attack this morning? Lost your breath suddenly?" Ashley goes to nod whle Jason speaks.

"I gave her a dose from Tim's old inhaler, it seemed to help." Jason explained, handing the small device to the doctor when the woman opened her hand to look. Bruce's eye narrowed at that, Alfred had made no mention of it either.

"Jason you didn't tell me." The adult pinched the bridge of his nose as Jason shrugged his shoulders.

"Hmm, good thinking, this definitely helped. But I'm prescribing one of your own honey, this one is out of date and while it's alright in an emergency I don't want to risk an infection with how old this one is." Hayes' eyes narrow and gently she cups Ashley's cheek to look at her reddened eye. "Popped blood vessel too, it's healing nicely." She hummed a moment and tapped at her chin before turning to Bruce.

"Physically she seems fine, no broken bones albeit she's a bit weak from the near dorwning. That in itself is a small miracle. Her lungs need weeks if not two months or more to heal correctly. So no strenuous activity, no running, and I'm making this call purely so you don't destroy your vocal chords," she turns to Ashley, "No talking, no loud yelling or anything like that for at least a week if not two. If you keep trying to talk, you're more than likely to damage your vocal chords to a point where they won't ever heal." Ashley's eyes widened and she nods in understanding, her hand gently tracing her throat.

Hayes' hand scribbled down on a piece of papper and she handed it to Alfred. "I'll be back in a week to check on her. Make sure you get that asthma inhaler as soon as possible. Do you still have that emergency breathing machine?" Alfred nods when Bruce's face blanks as to where it could be. "Good, keep it close. Something as simple as walking down the hallway could trigger an attack." She turned to Ashley and clasped the yougn girls hands. "You'll be fine honey, Bruce always makes sure his boys are healed and healthy." She pats Ashley's hand and then waves goodbye as Alfred escorts her out.

Bruce left the room after the doctor and Alfred, leaving Jason alone with Ashley. Her head fell into her hands and she sat there, taking it all in. Months to heal? A miracle she was even functioning? A week of not speaking? She was no social butterfly but still, this sucked. She felt more than saw Jason crouch in front of her, elbows on his bent knees and hands clasped together. "It'll be alright." His voice was low and Ashley lowered her hands to catch his oceanic blue gaze.

She knew this had to be weird for him, had to be a burden with how he didn't want to be home, he didn't want to babysit her and he didn't want the responsiblity of a full time watcher. He had his own city to watchover, his own team to worry about. Ashley goes to say something, anything to say she's sorry. Jason rasies an eyebrow and taps a finger to his lips to quiet her. "No talking, doctors orders. Come on." Ashley takes his offered hand to help her down from the table then places his palm at the small fo her back to lead her somewhere into the grand manor.

Jason slowly walks beside her, hands in his front pockets and head tilted downwards, his hair falling in his face as he watches her from the corner of his eye. Every few feet she'll look up, seeing something new or beautiful in the molding or knickknack that catches her attention. But then she'll see him a yard in front of her and she rushes to meet his gait again. Her own hair matching his own in the way the stray strands fall in white over the bridge of her nose.

He's headed to the tv lounge on the second floor, it's a bit out of the way, with only one door so he can watch out for demon spawn to sneak up again. But he just wants to get away from Bruce's prying eyes and Damian's glares. He's only been back barely three days and he's already fed up with them both. And Ashley, Ashley looked like she was going to faint every other minute. He'd like to talk to her some, without the others nearby, they'd figue out how. He smirks a bit behind his hair, Roy will flip if he ever sees what a babe Ashley really is. All curves and long legs.

Turning a corner sharply he chuckles under his breath as Ashley stops midstep and corrects herself to follow him through the doorway and into the dim room. The heavy curtains are mostly drawn to stop most of the sunlight trying to stream inside. A giant flat screen, every gaming console available and shelves of shelves of movies. This room he missed, those bean bag chairs is where he first heard Tim call him big brother and that couch is where Dick gave him dating advice in middle school.

"Movie?" She shrugs, sitting on the edge of the couch while he just flops onto a bean bag chair, nearly sinking completely into it with how heavy body was. Okay, he's a bit bigger since the last time he was in these chairs. That wasn't embarrasing at all. "You can relax you know, I won't shoot you or anything." Ashley gets this pursed lip look and she's then pointing a finger gun at his nose and mouths, 'bang' at him. Jason is so shocked he starts to laugh, throwing his head back and chuckling as his hand pushed his hair from his face. "Good one, dollface."

He hums gently and leans back into he chair, his ass is surely stuck but he wasn't going to admit that until he actually needed to get up. But he glances at Ashley as she takes his words to heart, leaning back and then curling into the deep cushioned couch, legs folded under her. She can't speak and he knows that, much as he'd like to hear her voice, he's got another idea to how she can speak with him. "Okay, I'll put a movie in because silence is stupid and there are fucking too many of these bastards still unwrapped, and we'll talk, yes or no only. Sound good?"

Ashley brushes the lock of white hair from her face behind her ear and nods, sitting upright more and tilting her head as she glances at all the movies along the floor to ceiling shelves, eyes a bit wide at the sight. Jason tries really hard, he does, but he has to just face his pride and roll out of the damn bean bag chair, there's no other way. And even then it's basically suction cupped to his ass so he gives a shake, hears a tiny giggle and points a finger at Ashley. "Shh."

With a random action movie put into the tv Jason turns to sit on the other end of the couch, his long legs spread out in front of him as the credits start to roll and he knows she's looking at him expectantly. his head rolls to the side and he narrows his gaze just a fraction, mind swirling with questions. Most of them circling around the white in her hair, the suit she had been wearing when he'd found her and so on. He wasn't really thinking about her being from another universe, in this day, in his time, he's seen and heard so much outlandish crap that it's more than likely true in it's own way.

He's raising an eyebrow and he must have sat there staring at her longer than he'd planned. "Do you really have no idea how you got here?" Way to go Jason, start out with the heavy stuff why don't you.

Ashley leans back a bit and shakes her head, her shoulders rising and dropping in a shrug. She goes to open her mouth but then groans and sighs, her head leaning back to the couch. She leans up and looks at him quizzically. Her lips mouth the words, 'can you read lips?' and Jason smirks, sitting up more and nods. "Pretty well, I didn't think of that."

-This is crazy and I keep thinking I'm in a dream or I'm drugged..- She moves her lips slowly to enunciate what she is saying and Jason nods as he reads her. It's a bit weird for him.

"You're not drugged, but you were. Old man says you had enough GHP in your system for three women." Jason regrets saying that bit, Ashley pales and curls in on herself some with her arms wrapped around her middle.

-I wasn't paying attention... Spencer... He was trying to get laid and..-

Jason sat up and nearly growled. "You had someone with you and they didn't notice someone drugging your drink?!" Ashley leant back some from the volume of his voice, her face flushing.

-I thought I was fine, guy seemed nice enough...-

"Sweetheart, no guy is nice, except maybe Dickibird. Someone should have been with you and it wouldn't have happened." Anger rose in his voice. Too many times he'd seen women dead in an ally, raped and drugged, women too loopy to fight off an attacker. Women hurt because their friends thought everything was fine. He looked hard at Ashley, she was fit and tall, wasn't a twig compared to most women with looks like hers, but she was still a woman and still a target because of it.

-I should be dead..-

"Yeah, you should, and I shoud be dead and so should a lot of people. But you're not." Jason decided to try and lighten her mood, he didn't like the wetness collecting in the lids of her eyes. "So the costume... what's up with that? Got a crush or somethin'?" Thankfully she takes the bait and a blush creeps up her cheeks, teeth biting her bottom lip.

-Kind of, you're one of my favoites..- Jason raises an eyebrow, he was her favorite? The fuck is wrong with her?

"Why?" He generally wanted to know why. Instead of beng snarky like he had been in the car ride to the manor, he wanted to now who in their right mind wanted to be like him?

-We have something in common...- Her lips pursed and for a moment she watched the movie playing on the screen, contemplating her words. Her hand reached up to her white hair. -Crowbars hurt like a bitch...-

Jason stills, frozen solid at her words, eyes wide as she turns to glance at him with her bright eyes, a ghost of pain she stills remembered in the orbs. His mind taking over, every hit with the solid bar, every crack of bone and cutting of muscle from the tool over his body as a teen. Blood pouring from broken teeth and smashed jaw. Then he catches her gaze and can see it in her eyes, it's familiar. He finally understands, the white in her hair is more to the side and wider then his own, her hair is long and it's snow white. Whatever had happened, she'd lived through it and it had been awhile since.

"Who?" His voice was a whisper and it cracked, but he didn't care because he sees it finally, with her head turned and her hair braided to the oppisite side. The thin scars over her ear that had been pieced back together, the barely raised lines on the back of her neck. Years of tanned skin, oils and creams and treatments hiding most of the damage from sight, only a trained eye seeing.

-You have nice brothers, they love you- Her eyes are wet and she reaches up to wipe at them with the sleeve of her sweater, she calms her breathing and it's back to her soft smiled face. Jason can think of a million words to say right now but all he sees is a woman stronger then he is, because she's not angry at the thought of it, she's just sad.


	13. Chapter 13

Jason turns to face the movie, blindly watching it as his mind races and stills. His reason of dying was no secret to the League or his adoptive family. It was downright brutal and he'd lived long enough to feel every crack of bone and drop of blood leave his body. He knew the pain a crowbar inflicted with the right amount of force. A tap on his thigh had him glancing down to see her finger poking him gently to get his attention, oh yeah, she can't speak.

-I like this movie, can you turn it up?- He does so, finding the remote and turning up the volume, watching her from the corner of his eyes as she curls back up and watches the screen intently. They sit for long moments until he can't take the silence anymore. His fingers turn down the sound a touch.

"Why'd they do it?" She'd opened the can of worms and now it was too late to close it back up.

Her lips purse and sighs softly, her nails tapping her knee folded under her. But she turns to him fully this time to face him. -My father was a very powerful man, I'm pretty sure it was gang or mob related but I can't say for sure...- She was having trouble mouthing the words instead of just saying them so she had to take a moment to remind herself of not speaking out, -My mother was already dead, my father loved me more than my half brothers, they were jealous...- Taking a deep breath Jason watched as her hand clenched into a fist for a moment before releasing, some anger evident in her mannerisms but only a fraction. -When he got sick they blamed me- She points to her hair.

Jason goes to speak but he stops because she's not done. -When he died they tried to kill me, but none of them were very good aim and the bullet hit my shoulder instead- Her hand reaches up and peels back the neck of the sweater. Flesh pink and raised but fading, a puckered bullet wound. -My father's will left me a chuck of inheritance but I faked my death, and ran.-

"You're one brave girl." She shruggs, not believing him, she was terrified and she'd ran. The authorites would never have believed her because they were bought, no one in the family liked her much at all, they tolerated her at the most. Now Jason knew, why his was the costuem she wore. She felt empowered by the colors and leather, she didn't feel scared or weak. She'd felt strong, she'd felt unbreakable. The red bat across her chest meant she couldn't give up, she could tackle all her problems with brute force and blazing guns. If just for a night she'd felt unbreakable, unkillable and invincible.

Jason settles back into the couch, his arm flung over the back as his other hand brushes back his air. "We get you back home, I'll take care of 'em for you." She whips her head around with wide eyes and he smirks a bit darkly, eyes narrowed to slits as he grins at her. "You won't have to worry about 'em coming after you anymore."

Her hand touches his wrist that's on the back of the couch and grips tight for a moment, her lips mouth 'thank you' and he nods. Turning the volume back up on the tv and they immerse into the movie this time, the quiet between them. Jason's thoughts roll but this time he keeps them to himself and lets her watch the screen, the one window in the room that doesn't have the curatins drawn shows the flurry of flakes outside. Snowing again.

Alfred calls them down to lunch but Jason declines, needing to talk to Bruce about what he's found out and needing to ask the man what the League was planing to do once she could speak again. As far as Jason was concerned at this point, Ashley was his reponsibility and he'd watch over her. The Batcave was dark as ever, blinking lights of computer terminals and the glow of the trophy room, Bruce sat at the computer on a video chat with Wonder Woman. Diana stopped midsentence and looked over Bruce's shoulder from the screen. "Hello Jason."

Bruce knew he had come into the cave, he always knows, and glanced over his shoulder in greeting before turning back to Wonder Woman. "As you were saying?"

"Hmm? Yes, the portl was rare, a glitch in a way. My theory is that even if the portal does open once more, there's no way to get her there in time before it closes once agian. Say it happens now, it would only be open a few moments snd even Flash might be able to get to the base, but he can't swim underwater at that speed." Diana crosses her arms in thought.

"So there's no way we can get her home?" Jason can't help some of the anger in his voice, can't hide it. He had been banking on killing those bastards that had beat her to near death and shot her. Rage boiled under his skin and he was ready to let loose on anything at this point.

Diana sighed and shook her head. "I don't beleive so, I am searching for other portals that might have slipped our notice but, I am going to assume Ashley is here to stay." Bruce sat back in his chair some, steepling his fingers under his chin in thought.

"What do the others think? Do we question her?" Bruce asked Diana, the rest of the League had a vote, they all did. He wondered what the outcome would be to that question.

"Superman, myself and several others are content wating for her to heal, then question her more in depth when she is able to speak clearly."

"And the others?"

"Wish for her to be sent here and into a holding cell to see if there is any power she may be harboring." Jason scoffed from his spot behind Bruce's shoudler.

"The girl was nearly killed three times in her life already, if she had a power, I think she would have tried to save herself from drowning don't you?" Diana's eyes narrowed and she tapped her elbow in her crossed arms.

"Something you have to share?" Bruce murmured and Diana's exotic eyes softened a fraction.

"When I assisted her into fresh garments I noticed... much scarring over her body hidden beneath the clothes she had been wearing. It was healed cleanly, what Jason says may be correct. If she has in fact had her life threatened, she would have shown some sort of ability by now. She's alive because she is strong in spirit, not in body." Bruce turned to glance at Jason whose hand was gripping the back of Bruce's chair with a heavy grip. Rage blooming behind his blue green eyes.

"Then we wait until she's able to speak and question her then. Are you still coming for Christmas eve?" Diana nods and signs off, the screen going black. Several moments are spent in silence before Bruce turns the chair around and looks at his second eldest son, sees the rage vibrating off of him.

"What has she told you?" Jason starts pacing, like a caged panther his feet silent and long legs taking him back and forth.

"I...fuck!" Jason slams his fist into a metal grate wall, the dent sizeable and not even his full strength was behind it but he's got so much anger and he's never been good at dealing with it healthily. "I know why she's marked up..." Bruce narrows his eyes quizzically and motions for Jason to continue, long since used to the outbursts of rage from Jason.

So Jason tell Bruce what he's foud out, how they figured out a way for her to talk but not speak, and why there's white in her hair and scars on her body beneath her clothes. How her friends left her side and that's how she got the drugs in her system, no one had been watching out for her. "And now she can't go back."

Jason stops his pacing and leans his shoulder onto a grate wall that held weapons and tools. His face pinched tight in silent anger as Bruce digested all he'd been told by Diana and now Jason. "Considering what's happened to her, maybe she's safest here." The man stood and clasped a hand on Jason's shoulder, they may not see eye to eye and fight to much to be normal, but Jason was his son. He loved him.

"Take a crack at the new training room, get rid of that rage before dinner." With that Bruce left the cave and went back upstairs, he had other things to deal with as Bruce Wayne that needed his attention. Jason took the advice, heading toward the gym and charging at dummies with knives and fists.


	14. Chapter 14

Three days into her silence and Ashley is going fucking nuts. She's jittery and hyper and it's based on the fact she can't talk! Alfred will ask a question and she'll want to speak an answer but she can only nod or shake her head, Jason could read her lips but that was getting old, add the fact his eyes would never leave her face made her blush non stop in the presence of the second oldest Wayne son. Damian, yeah Demion, just whispered insults to her if they crossed paths, but he hadn't tried to kill her again so, yay? No, that actually terrified her to a degree, Damian Wayne was deadly and she feared for her very life in his presence, Jason there or not.

"I need to check on some things, think you'll be alright with demon spawn?" Jason was dressed to ride his bike into the city, he needed to touch base with Roy and Kori instead of over the phone. Plus check on, somehow, his illegal mob territory that he'd inherited by killing the last boss, whatever, it's money. Ashley dropped her ice cream spoon into the bowl with a clatter, her eyes round as saucers. Her mouth formed the words 'Oh, fuck no'.

Jason chuckled at the sight and instead tossed a white helmet to her, gently. "Figured that would be your answer, come on. Don't forget your inhaler, dollface." Ashley pouted, but took one more bite of her ice cream before standing, picking up the helmet and patting her hoodie pocket to make sure the breathing aide was in fact on her person. The last few days she hadn't had to use it, but she did get out of breath if she tried to tackle the stairs on her own. It was a feat she was proud of.

Her ankle boots thumped behind Jason's long legged steps toward a small side corridor she hadn't explored yet, this place was huge. Like, you could probably have four people living here at the same time and never run into the other for days or maybe weeks, crazy. Jason opened a door and walked down a few steps into a garage, a huge ass garage. Shivering, Ashley crossed her arms, she hadn't thought of how cold it fucking was outside. The prospect of leaving the manor had been too enticing along with the fact she had no want to be in the house alone with Damian. Something thwacked against her arm and she yelped out, the noise hurting her throat and Jason winced at the strangled sound. "Sorry, thought you heard me." He bent and picked up the leather bundle, it was a thick leather jacket, with something fluffy and brown inside that looked so freaking warm.

"I doubt Alfred thought to get you anything like this, you're about Tim's size, this should fit you alright." He helped her into the brown leather, it was in fact as warm as it looked and she felt thankful for it, her hoodie and sweater were not warm enough. Jason even went to zip it up, the leather becoming snug around her waist and up to her chest, his hand slowing until it reached just above the curve of her breasts. He was standing really close, and he was so fucking tall and broad, Ashley couldn't even look up at him too shocked of his proximity to her person. He hadn't gotten this close to her yet, at least not when the situation called for him to carry her.

His fingers dropped the zipper and it clicked gently against the metal prongs as he lifted his hand to her chin, lightly cupping her cheek in his wide palm to pry her gaze upwards to his. His hair fell gently to one side of his face as he glanced down at her, rough skin of his fingers that moved to brush some of her hair behind her ear. He smirks boyishly at her and winks before handing her the white helmet once again. "Come on, doll."

Ashley somehow gets the helmet on by herself, blush coating her cheeks more than the chill in the air as Jason rolls his bike towards the now open garage door. Swinging his heavy body over and settling on the bike she saw how the tires flexed and the metal body sunk lower with Jason's heavy weight. She gulped, loudly at the sight of him before her, wrapped in leather and broad shouldered, raising one eyebrow at her, his chin jerking for her to get on behind him. She'd be lying, if she said she hadn't had a few daydreams of him doing exactly that and looking exactly the way he did in that moment.

"Aren't you gonna wear a helmet?" Jason grins at her, from somewhere pulling his red mask to his face and it starts moving on its own, crawling over and forming into his red helmet, snug on his face and chin like a second hard shelled skin. He reaches out and tugs her onto the back of the bike, foot kicking out and starting the beast beneath them. Ashley gasps, her arms gripping around his wide chest as far as she could from behind him, she hears Jason laugh, a barely heard, "Hang on pretty girl" and the tires roll beneath them.

Alfred watches from one of the front windows, a finger to the side of his chin and smirk on his face as he watches the motorcycle grip the cleared drive and head toward Gotham. He was not worried about them wrecking, Jason was an excellent cyclist. No, he wasn't worried one single bit, it was the most he'd seen of young Jason in some years, and he'd witnessed more smirks and smiles on Jason's face than all those years combined. Because Ashley made Jason smile. Alfred turned and went back to wrapping some small presents, last minute gifts for miss Ashley so she wouldn't be left out for christmas morning a few days away.

Ashley didn't even feel the old, not really. Other than the chill over her jean clad thighs, all she felt was the exhilaration of the accelerating bike beneath her and Jason's warmth seeping to her from his back and thighs. Those thick, deliciously solid thighs. The helmet on her head fit like a glove, its tinted visor allowed her to look over the city she'd seen so many times drawn up in comics and strained to bring to life on the big screen. She thinks the series from the early 2000's really made their mark. The city was a tremendous mix of old and new, technology and rustic all at once. Towering sky scrapers all clustered around the center of the city, Wayne industries. Then she thinks the Dark Knight trilogy will be as close as they could get as well. Everything was dark and shadowy even though it was bright and snow was falling over the buildings. Her arms tightened on Jason's waist as they passed a cluster of mean looking men surrounding a dead end pool hall.

Jason moved through the back alleys with ease and concentrated on getting to an apartment complex near the higher end of the east side of the city. He was cocky wearing his red face plate at the moment but it's come to the point only the really stupid or suicidal would actually try to attack him while he wasn't in fact already beating them to a pulp. But he noticed her grip tighten whenever they passed a seedy bar or a questionable cluster of men, he hit the throttle a little harder. They weren't far now.

He hadn't exactly planned on taking her with him, but then he'd realized it was either bring her along with him or leave her to the mercy of demon spawn. He'd rather not come back to the manor and find her dead or tied upside down hanging from the mouth of the t-rex in the cave. He almost shuddered, that wasn't fun. The building came into view and without notice he turned the bike into the alley beside it, the metal barred doors opened to the lift and up they went as Jason shut off the bike. A button pressed on the side of his helmet and it fell away to a small face-plate once more as they rose to the top second floor.

The doors opened automatically to the floor and Jason stood, Ashley climbing off the bike, so he could roll it inside. She timidly walks behind him, the sight of her in Tim's jacket is a mixed feeling. It fits her form like a near second skin while on the other hand it's Tim's jacket. Kickstand out Jason shed his heavy coat and goes over to Ashley, helping her unbuckle the helmet from her head. Her hair frizzy and curled gently from the wetness in the air and she's flushed from the ride. There's a wheeze to her breathing and Jason frowns, his palm to her cheek and it's ice cold. "You good?" she nods.

"Jesus Christ, Jay, you didn't say she was fucking hot!?" Jason rolls his eyes and helps Ashley from the leather riding coat, tossing it to lay over the seat of his bike as he faces his friend and partner in crime, Roy Harper. His ginger red-orange hair spiky from a fresh shower and ratty holes in his sweatpants, clearly starting to sport a boner through the material and Jason rolls his eyes at the slacked jaw Roy.

Ashley raised an eyebrow and looked down at herself, she wasn't wearing anything revealing, her fly was up, her hair was a mess, she knew she was on the pettier side, but really? She wished she got that type of attention more often, in her world. Shesh, it's a lot of hard work for her to even get a second date. "Roy, this is Ashley." She held out her hand to shake, Roy scrambled to put down his cup of coffee on the counter-top, wipe his sweaty hands on his holey sweats.

He shook her hand, Ashley's own jaw going slack but it wasn't at Roy and he knew it. Kori always had that effect on people at first meeting. She was an alien after all, fiery hair almost set aflame and golden skin like she walked on the sun everyday since birth, and the eyes, her eyes actually glowed green. Kori tilted her head and floated toward them, her feet hovering inches from the floor of the room as she hovered over Ashley's form. Green eyes narrowed and she leaned in close, close enough that their noses touched. Ashley attempted to hold her ground but she falters with how backward bent her spine was and Jason gripped her shoulders so she wouldn't topple over.

"Roy is correct, she is beautiful. Is she taken?" She turns and asks Jason who sputters and finally growls out for Kori to control herself and not scare Ashley. The alien only shrugged and winked at Ashley as the girl got a hold of herself and the blush started to fade from her cheeks.

"If he isn't enough for you, please come see me." Kori reaches out, this time Ashley gasps at the sheer heat coming from Kori's hand as it touches her still chilled skin, the warmth spreading like wild fire and Ashley no longer feels the cold from the ride over to the apartment.

Kori is walking, floating, away when Ashley regains her control again and a smile appears on her lips, she cant speak but if she could, she'd tell Kori the very same thing. The woman across from her was a goddess and Ashley would not turn that chance down in a million years, batting for both teams was exactly what Ashley did. Jason waved a hand in front of Ashley's face and she turned from staring at Kori's barely clad legs and thighs floating away to the other side of the counter, Roy looked a bit disheartened and Jason was chuckling.

"Alright, stay away from Kori, you can't be breathing heavy, remember?" Ashley pouts mockingly and crosses her arms, Jason just pushes her to the bar to sit on one of the stools while he leans his elbows on the counter to talk to Roy about any leads for cases while he's been gone. Ashley idly listening to them, a cup of warm tea somehow appeared in front of her and Kori only winked from the other side of the bar. Ashley smiled back and sipped the warm drink as Jason talked. She figured they'd want to keep her knowledge of their comings and going quiet but they just talked beside her. A map now laid out, case files and papers strewn over to her elbow.

She looked them over out of pure curiosity, but the sight of bloodied rooms, case files, beaten faces had her looking away and nearly nauseous. Before, none of it would have really bothered her. The amount of horror movies she watched was creepy, bloodshed on the screens would make her laugh with how ridiculous it looked. She'd nearly bled to death twice before she ever laid foot on this universes earth. Now, now it made her skin crawl. This world wasn't as safe as hers had been, the amount of comic books under her bed attested to that fact.

Instead Ashley tapped her nails on the counter, feigning boredom as she blew hair out of her face, let it fall once more and then blew air out again. Jason glanced over at her, rolled his eyes and stood, before she could realize he'd left he sat a gaming controller in front of her on the counter and pointed with his thumb to the tv with the console already turned on. "Roy's got the new Grand Theft Auto game?" He'd barely said the game and Ashley was already hopping over the couch to sit cross legged on the cushions, the sounds of crashing cars, police sirens and guns going off coming from the televison.

Roy raised an eyebrow at Jason's smirk and Ashley immersing herself into the video game. When he figured she wasn't paying attention, Roy leaned forward some and kept his brow raised at Jason. "She's really... not from here?" Jason nodded, his smirk falling away to a familiar anger filled frown.

"Some portal opened up by chance, if it comes back, there's no way to get to it before it closes again. Besides, what if it phases her into yet another verse? Nearly killed her when she came to this one." Jason sipped at the coffee in his mug. It was spiked with whiskey, just a touch he was driving the bike, but he needed the warmth in his belly to calm himself. The rage in him from the pit was more or less controllable but sometimes it flared up in situations that he had no control over. Like the fact he couldn't skin alive Ashley's half brothers for beating her near death, with a crowbar. A fucking crowbar.

"Jay, ease up. You're gonna break another coffee mug." He looked and he'd cracked the mug, setting the cup down he gripped a fist for a moment, tightly, and then released. A deep breath leaving his lips as he calmed his mind, cooled his bubbling blood that wanted to full out boil. Roy, used to seeing Jason having to cool off out of a sudden angry burst, just waits on the raven haired man across from him. "League questioned her yet?"

Jason shakes his head. "Can't, not until she can talk again. Doctor said she could permanently damage her vocal chords." He peeks over his shoulder to find she had moved closer to the edge of the couch, the screen showing a fight scene with heavy gunfire, her shoulders and head turning to look about corners, find a good shot, line up her sights. He smirked. Kori was hovering over the back of the couch, watching intently.

"In her world, we're not real."

Roy's brow furrows. "As in we're not heros or anything?" Jason shakes his head.

"Dude, we don't even exist except in comic books, video games." Roy's eyes widen at the thought.

"Does her world not have heroes?'

"I don't think it does." Jason lets Roy think that over. He knew the questions rolling around in the red heads mind. Who protects them from alien attacks, from the crazy mass murdered and people who can create gases that make you fear or can grow vines out of nothing. But none of it was possible, maybe in smaller forms but nothing was ever used like that for those things, no one was meta or alien.

"Ashley is quite proficient at the video of games, she plays much better than you Roy." Kori spoke out of nowhere to their right and Roy sat up straighter from his staring position at Ashley. The white streak in Ashley's hair vibrant in the lights of the apartment as she turned to look over the back of the couch.

"I better get back, old man'll have my head he knows I took her out in the cold with her lungs all fucked up." Roy and Kori both gave him a look that said he really shouldn't have. "I'll see you tonight." With that Jason stood and went to his bike on the tiled entry, helped Ashley in Tim's riding coat and the helmet to her head. He waved over his shoulder once and down the lift they went, back through the cold Gotham streets and towards the manor. Bruce standing in the window of a third story room, eyes narrowing in exasperation at the sight of Jason and the girl out in the frigid cold, icy streets and on a motorcycle.


	15. Chapter 15

Dusk had fallen an hour before, she'd retired to her room with a book in hand from the vast library, her door half open. Jason walked by, domino mask in his hands as he stopped by her half open doorway. She'd looked up from the window seat finding him leaning against her door frame, domino mask in his hand. The red hood stood there in her doorway, kevlar plates and leather jacket, holsters on each thick thigh. Seeing him there in the flesh, suited up for the first time, Ashley had to swallow the excess saliva in her mouth before she started drooling at the sight of him.

"Damian's with Bruce tonight, I got a lead to follow." He didn't know why he explained himself or what he was doing. But the sight of her in that window seat, curled under a blanket with a book in her hand, gave him another reason to go out and do what he does nearly every night. Fight for the innocent, kill the ones who were too far gone and stop more lives being lost for no reason.

-Knock 'em dead- She mouths her lips and gives a smirk. He returns it with a wink. It's why she's grown on him so quickly, she didn't give a damn if he had to take lives or the job he does. She knew there was blood on his hands and knew he didn't care about it either.

"I'll see you at breakfast, dollface." He slips the domino mask on his face, blocking out the top half of his features from view and vanished down the hall. Ashley waited to here the bike leave the driveway, but after ten minutes she realized why she hadn't heard it, he'd taken the back entrance from the cave. The one that had tunnels carved all through Gotham as secret entrances and exits to the city. With nothing else to do, Ashley immersed herself into the words of Shakespeare.

Another chapter in and Ashley glances off the page to the window, the moon shining bright and illuminating the snow with an ethereal glow. Her reflection gazed back at her and her lips frowned, the white in her hair shocking against the rest of her skin. The length hitting her breasts with its soft wave and she sighed. She loathed and loved it, depending on the day and the state of her emotions. But it was a reminder of her past and of her battles won, no matter how close they had come to destroying her. It's why the Red Hood was such a favorite of hers, him and Rogue from the X-Men, but Ashley didn't have the mutants resolve and snark. What she had was a will to live.

She had to stop, Ashley knew when her thoughts could turn dark and she also knew if she let them get very far she would drop into another depression. It was something she'd battled with her entire life as far as she remembered, by now Ashley knew how to calm herself, knew how to sooth her emotions and tricks to make her mind not have the thoughts she was having. Taking the well read book with her, Ashley made her way down the hall, carefully so she wouldn't aggravate her lungs, and down the steps.

Brow furrowed she chewed the inside of her lip, she knew the kitchen was down and to the left, but the library was down, right and left. She'd seen Jason emerge from that entrance just before dinner, and now that Bruce, Damian and Jason were gone... she was curious. She tapped the edge of the book against her lips and headed down and to the right. Ashley knew none of the bats were here but that didn't mean Alfred wasn't lurking somewhere in the shadows, the butler knew everything that went on in this house, always. But she still looked over the bookcase, the one that had pulled back, swung to the side and let Jason through hours before. There has to be some sort of lever or button or pressure plate to open it form this side.

Setting the small book down on a side table Ashley looked over the bookshelf. There had to be something. A book? Nope, that didn't work. A loose shelf? No, not that. She stopped and spied a bust on the desk near the bookshelf, her brow furrowed. A vision of an episode from some cartoon rendition of batman in her minds eye, a button hidden beneath the head of a bust. Ashley scoffs out into the empty library, christmas lights twinkling as she pokes at the bust. The head moved a fraction off of the base.

Her lips mumbled 'No fuckin' way...' and sure enough, the lid flipped over and a red button sat inside the bust. Ashley chewed her lip and sat at the desk for a moment, staring at the button and tapping her nails on the desk top. Did she really want to face the wrath and disapointed glares from Batman himself...or give in to her curiosity and press the button. In her world, none of this existed. The heroes of her world were the men and women in uniform, the military and police, but not the at a super extent. Her world idealized Iron Man and Captain America, but were too scared of the technology behind it all to even try. Too afraid of other countries making it before themselves and using it as warfare.

Alfred watched from the security cameras in the Batcave, a smile gracing his lips as he watches Ashley come to a some sort of choice. He'd done this with every child that had come under the roof of Bruce Wayne. From Richard down to Tim, Damian had already known of his father's secret, giving them the choice, the chance. Most children are curious, to an extent. If she chose the button, she'd make a choice to come down to the cave with the full intent on snooping while all the bats were gone.

The rest of the screens held security footage in Gotham, directing Batman to a bank robbery in progress. One eye watched as Ashley sat up straighter in the chair and steeled herself. Alfred's lips quirked upwards as the young woman hovered her finger over the red button, in hindsight they may have to take that old entrance out, instead of pressing it gently, she slammed her palm down onto it. The bookshelf moved silently and opened up, Ashley timidly looking back into the brightly lit library for a moment and a smirk appeared on her face as she went down the hall that lit up with her movements and guided her down to the cave under the manor.

"It seems she's found her way inside." Alfred spoke gently into the coms and waited for a response from Bruce. Normally the man's first response was to get the child in question out of there as soon as possible, sit them down and have a long talk about secrets and such.

"Don't let her get over excited.." Alfred paused at the words from Bruce. They were calm, they weren't angry, and more then anything. He hadn't asked Alfred to get Ashley out of the cave.

The steps were grated as Ashley made her way down, rooms seemed to veer off the main staircase. There were trophies of battles won and posters of the caped crusaders through the years, framed on the walls. She peeked from the wall, finding the chair in front of the giant bat computer empty. Biting her lip Ashley slunk closer to it, hands clasped tight behind her back as she looked at the long rows of buttons. She dared not touch it, hell no. But she looked long at it before the blinking lights of the next terminal shone at her, diverting her attention.

Alfred watched from a higher balcony, Ashley looked closely at most of everything in her vision, thoughts he didn't touch what was obviously so interesting to her. But he could see the gleam in her eyes, she desperately wanting to in fact poke and prod the many tools, displays and computers. He let her explore a bit more, making his way down the stairs and towards her.

"I'm curious as to how you found the entrance so quickly, it took master Tim four months." His presence had Ashley gasp loudly, her hand to her chest as she spun quickly, her foot hitting the chair in front of the computer terminal and set it spinning. Alfred only smirked in a knowing way and offered his hand toward the wide grate walk to the garage. "Would you like a tour?" The white stripe in her hair fellf rom her bun as she nodded her head excitedly.

When Bruce returned in the early hours of the night Damian in tow, he did not expect Ashley to be sitting crossed legged on the floor before Alfred as the old man recounted tales of Richard and Jason when they were young and had a prank war in the Batcave while Bruce was gone on a business trip for Wayne Enterprises. His young son scoffed and went the opposite direction to shed his suit and weapons for the night while Bruce patiently waited for Alfred to finish, Ashley hadn't yet discovered him standing off the to the side.

"Oh my, it's quite late. You should be in bed miss Ashley." Alfred stood, knowing Bruce was standing there, the Bat's presence caught Ashley by surprise and her eyes widened to saucers as Bruce dismissed Alfred.

"Ashley.." Behind the cowl Bruce's gaze was kind, he'd seen too many kids and teens needing the sight of the cave as a form of hope, or comfort for protection. Ashley was a bit different, she knew of the cave but to her it hadn't existed, the reality of everything was now askew and she'd needed the form of computers and weapons to help sooth her hind brain. Ashley now looked like a scolded child as she still sat on the floor and chewed on the nail of her thumb. "It's late, go on to bed."

She wasn't expecting the softer tone form the Bat and nodded, making her way up off the floor and back toward the main staircase, she hoped, and the way she came from earlier in the day. "And Ashley, next time ask for permission?" The blonde nodded and scampered up the steps, careful not to over exert herself and cause her breathing to act up, as she made her way back out of the bookcase and towards her room.

Damian came form a dark corner, watching as always and stood by his father's chair, confused by the amount of softness coming from Batman. He'd heard the tone a few rare times before, once when Damian had first asked who Jason was. Once when Jason came back to the manor the very first time after being given back life, once when a small child was abandoned at a warehouse one night on patrol. Just a handful of times that Bruce Wayne would shine through the cowl. Damian just couldn't predict why the girl was making Bruce seem soft.

"Go on to bed Damian." The smallest robin scoffed softly, turned and went up stairs. His body language gave no sign to the bruises covering his sides and thigh, too proud to ask for help when it was only small wounds that would heal on their own.

He waited for a long while, finalizing reports and looking into other cases. His cowl was open and thrown back over his shoulders, deep blue gaze onto the screens in front of him. A frown appearing on his face as a news report scrolled silently over one of the panels. 'Mass shooting in warehouse left ten dead, massive amounts of cocaine found and believed to have been a drug deal gone bad.' Bruce sighed through his nose and tried his best to ignore it. He knew for a fact it was Jason, the part of Gotham was Jason's small territory. Jason was trying, and Bruce would have to live with that. Had to accept Jason didn't see his way and didn't abide by his morals. Being hard on him and pushing him away would only end in disaster. It was already...

He waited, and soon enough Jason's motorcycle sounded down the eastern tunnel. Jason looked tired, shoulders slumped and once the bike was shut off he sat for long moments on the machine, gathering his thoughts, willing himself to calm his rage. "She found the cave." Bruce decided to ignore the dead men in the warehouse, Jason had stopped a potential powerhouse of drugs being moved through Gotham, and decided to go with what had happened while they were all out with only Alfred left in the house with her.

Jason peeled the helmet from his face, the domino mask staying as his lips quirked into a smirk. "I knew she'd find it.." Bruce turned slightly in the chair and raised an eyebrow.

"I knew where she was and popped out an entrance, knew she would find it sooner or later." Jason shrugged, he'd been curious, with her knowledge of the cave, if she knew the entrances as well. But with days going by and she never tried, he'd experimented and she'd given him the answer, she was fiery and curious. Bruce gave him a condescending glare but Jason only rolled his body off the bike and peeled his guns from their holsters and onto the shelving unit made for his weapons. He never asked why Bruce had the unit made, he wasn't going to.

"Don't worry old man, I'm not letting her anywhere near a suit or a weapon. Life's too dangerous for her." Bruce's gaze widened fractionally but Jason was already heading up the steps and left Bruce alone in the cave once more. He had in fact, not been thinking about that. Jason taught him a priceless lesson, lives can and will be lost in this profession they all chose. He will not ask another to don the colors or a suit, not in his lifetime. But that meant Jason had thought of it, otherwise, why would he be so vehement to keep her away from the suits yet lead her into the cave. Bruce had a lot to ponder and he was exhausted, at five am he shut main lights off and headed to bed to catch a few hours of sleep before the next days routine started all over again.


	16. Chapter 16

He had to check on her. It had become habit already, late at night after patrols he'd peek into her room, because she never closed or locked the door for some reason. Her room was dark and he had to let his eyes adjust to its shadows before he spotted the pale streak of her hair poking from her pillows. One hand towards the floor and off the bed, one foot bare and peeking from the upturned corner of the blankets. But her breathing was slow and even. Finally, the wheeze was down to barely there. Jason leaned his shoulder on the door-jam for a moment, his body was tired and needed sleep, but he wanted to watch her a moment longer. This girl out of her own world and handling everything thrown at her fairly well. This girl with a deep scar on the crown of her head that marked her as a survivor, like him.

Jason moved silently, crouching down by the bed to place her foot back under the covers and move her arm back onto the bed, her skin chilled where it had escaped the warmth. His knuckles touched the back of her upper arm, the dim glow of the hall lights illuminating the raised flesh on her upper arms. They weren't that old, hiding under her tanned skin but there all the same. The marks were scattered, but long and he would guess they traveled over her back in criss-crossing lines. Her hair fell forward and revealed the full sight of her earlobe, the side crudely sewn back together and healed over time but the raised pieces signaling it had been nearly severed clean off.

He shook his head, not realizing he'd been there crouched by her bed staring at her for so long. His body needed to sleep and he needed to leave her be. The feelings and emotions running around in him were strange and he found himself acting kinder than he had in some years. The role of crime lord and Outlaw King coupled with his want of trying to help the same people he ruled over yet hated. His morals were all askew and the week off he'd had was doing wonders to his stress levels. But he would need to go back soon, and the truce with his adoptive father wouldn't last much longer.

The league would want a report and in a days time, if the doctor gave the go ahead, Ashley would be taken to the League headquarters for questioning. He wouldn't admit it, but an inkling of fear ran down his spine at the thought. The League had become more ruling, so strict in its rules that even Dick, even Nightwing the first Robin, questioned their morals and high grounds of protection. If Dick questioned the League, well then Jason had every right to go against everything they asked of him. Ashley didn't stand a chance against the League alone, not a single one. He needed to talk to Bruce, make him understand that Jason had to go with her, some fucking how. He wouldn't leave her alone to them and their ruthless questioning.

As Jason peeled off his blood soaked clothes and washed the reek of sweat and earth from his body, he contemplated what was going to happen and what he could do to prevent any harm to the girl. He wasn't as strategic like Dick, close though, but he was crazy enough to think of plans no one else could fathom. It gave him the edge he needed and the fear others put in him when he went after something he wanted. And he wanted to keep her safe.

"Alright honey, I think you're safe to speak from now on, though please go easy. If your throat starts feeling tight or hoarse give yourself a break." Doctor Hayes smiled and packed up her small medical bag. "Though keep the inhaler on you, I know you haven't had to use it but better safe then sorry. I'm concerned you might develop asthma in the long run. So try to stay out of the cold as well for now." Jason and Ashley shared a glance across the room from each other like teenagers that couldn't keep a secret if they tried, he'd already taken her out on several late night bike rides, but the doc didn't need to know that. He'd be careful, and the helmet she wore was warm.

"Th-" Ashley had to clear her throat. "Thank you Doctor Hayes." She smiled when Hayes gave her arm a pat affectionately.

"Two weeks from now I'll check on you again. Stay inside, stay warm and don't over exert yourself." Hayes went to leave but Ashley stopped her with a hand on the doctor's arm.

"Is it alright of I exercise some?" In truth Ashley was going absolutely nuts being inactive like she had been. Her normally active body was screaming for some sort of workout, no matter how light. She was used to twice weekly gym trips, yoga every day and running three times a week. She'd barely moved in days, afraid of her breathing.

"Hmmm I suppose some light things wouldn't hurt. Watch your heartrate though."

"Would yoga be alright?" Hayes nodded.

"Yes that'll be fine as long as it's simple and .. You're not one of those that holds the pose for ten minutes are you?" And Ashley bit her lip with a look that said, maybe. "Just please be careful, if you do work out or exercise, please have someone nearby in case anything happens." Ashley nodded excitedly, with the doctor's permission she felt like she wasn't as restricted as she had been since she got here.

Hayes left and Jason was alone with Ashley once more, he'd found he started waking up according to her sleep schedule no matter how late he stayed out at night, he'd wake when she did and stayed with her most of the day even though all he wanted to do was slip back into bed for a couple more hours of sleep. But he'd found Ashley had a snarky attitude that he thrived to rile up in her, she cursed like a sailor when no one was watching and was positively sweet as candy when talking to Alfred about anything under the sun, truly enjoying the old mans company, but was reserved and in fact visibly intimidated when Bruce or Damian were in the room. For good reason but still, she seemed scared of the Bat and that raised questions in Jason's mind, but then again, everything about her was a question. She seemed to know things she shouldn't but then was utterly complex when she discovered something that didn't fit with her memory of what she knew of his universe.

"You know, Alfred is going to watch you like a hawk if you start to run around in circles" Ashley laughed, it was scratchy from disuse but he could see the relief she felt at hearing her own voice once more.

"I don't care, I can talk again!" She hopped off the table and raised her arms in triumph for a second, this wide happy grin on her features. "Oh my god, I feel like I haven't talked in years, that shit was torture! Fuck a duck, this feels good!" Ashley is giddy, nearly toppling over in her over excitement and Jason can understand to an extent. She hadn't been able to be herself, had to keep her answers short and clipped for days now. But Jason couldn't join in her glee, now she could talk again, the League wanted her up there at the base. Today.

Ashley noticed his lack of excitement and paused, narrowing her gaze and brow furrowed at the tall man across form her. So far she trusted Jason, he hadn't made any actions that would askew her thoughts on him, but he looked... angry. "Jason?" He sighs through his nose, reaches up to pinch the bridge of it and close his eyes for a moment.

"League wants you ready at noon, it's time." He watched as her whole demeanor changed, she visibly swallowed hard and her eyes widened. Fear evident on her face, making her eyes shine. "I can go with you to the base, but once there you have to stay with Bruce." She nods solemnly. "I'm gonna try to go with you."

Her happiness is gone and replaced with anxiety as Jason led her back to her room, which she could actually find her way now. Not in the dark probably, but she felt proud of that feat, this house was freaking huge. There wasn't much Jason could do to help ease her nerves. But he'd already told her days ago to be honest and the League wouldn't be too bad. He'd lied to her, because behind closed doors and up on their main base, they weren't the nicest or the most moral of heroes, yet they took charge of anyone wearing a suit. And anyone with enough power to give them a challenge, like himself and others.

Bruce was waiting at the mouth of the Batcave, dressed in full cowl and suit when Ashley made her way down there, Jason dressed as well, minus the clips in his guns but they were in another pocket. He knew the League would see it with their scans and he'd be asked to remove them, but he can't not have the ammo on him, it felt wrong. Domino mask set on his face widened in surprise as Ashley gripped his hand suddenly at the sight of Bruce with his signature Batman glare pointed at her. Funny, how shed hold his hand but the sight of an actual hero with morals scared her. Jason just curled his fingers around her smaller hand and gave a squeeze of comfort. Bruce's eyes narrowed behind his cowl but he said nothing as he typed in a code into the computer and was still silent as he stood back and waited for the portal to open.

A large ring of white light appeared causing Ashley to take a step back in fear, Jason's grip on her hand held tight and he gave another squeeze as he headed toward the light behind Bruce, gently puling her with them. Once completely engulfed in the light Ashley felt a sense of weightlessness and then solid floor beneath her feet, her hair blowing gently as the light receded. Metal gray walls, sharp corners and long halls. Jason led Ashley as they followed Bruce through the base, his hold on her smaller hand comforting to her. She didn't feel like she was in space, until they walked passed a glass window and she froze suddenly. Causing Jason to stop and look at her curiously, then realization dawned as she stared wide eyed at the stars, and earth little more then the size of a golf-ball below them.

"I'm gonna be sick.." She whispered and looked away from the window with a jerk. Her feet back pedaling and stumbling until she met wall and she slid down it, head between her knees as she breathed raggedly. Jason crouched down in front of her, his large frame bent and curled in front of her, making sure she looked at him and not the window. Puling her focus to only his.

"Easy, just breath. There ya go." Jason glanced up at Bruce, the Bat wasn't happy with the delay but they couldn't help her sudden sickness. Neither one had thought about her first space jump, its usually unsettling for those new to it. "Eyes on me doll... There, breath. You good?" Ashley nodded wearily and Jason took her hand again to help her up.

Bruce turned on his heel and kept going, though at a slightly slower rate than before and maybe he avoided the outer walkways in case Ashley caught sight of the scene around them again. Jason held tight to her hand but he was wary, and Bruce knew it. The last time he'd been here, Bruce had to beg and plead for the League to leave his son be and live his life on earth and not in the League prison. The tenseness in his broad shoulders was rolling off of him, and Bruce worried, in the back of his mind, if the League would reopen Jason's case file just to spite the Bat that had let the murderer run free in his own city. Very few of the Leaguers trusted Bruce's lone judgement over his proteges', and fewer still that supported his statements in meetings for cases and missions when it came to Gotham's villains and vigilantes.

The hallway widened and Leaguers were now seen as the trio moved through the base. Every set of eyes landing on the golden colored blonde with a white lock, and then moving toward Jason's broad frame that stood just a bit taller and wider than Bruce's own. The leather of his jacket and holsters at his thighs were giveaway to who he was. No one wanted him here, and several Leaguers wanted to say something but as the trio progressed down a level and toward the council rooms, they didn't utter a word.

Several men and women were standing in the hallway, Wonder Woman's sight set on Bruce and her eyes softened at the look of fear on Ashley's young face. She turned and with that movement the rest of the group watched as Bruce came to a stop, Ashley basically huddled to Jason's side for protection. Already their eyes were watching closely and knitted with something Ashley couldn't identify, but she saw Diana and her fear regressed slightly at the sight of the dark haired princess.

"Ashley, I trust you are feeling better?" Diana came up to the girl, reached out and clasped Ashley's free hand in her strong ones and gave a subtle squeeze of comfort to the terrified young girl.

"Yes, I'm feeling much better, thank you." Her voice was hoarse from disuse but she cleared her throat and Diana smiled from the manners the girl had.

"Todd.." Superman came up to them and narrowed his gaze as the domino masked man before him. He didn't trust Jason, not a single frayed bit and the way the girl in question clung to him made Clark narrow his gaze further and ponder what that could mean. "You may sit in the council, but watch your tongue. You are not part of this council, you're a guest. remember that." he watched as the rage beneath Jason calm exterior started to build at the slight. But the man kept his tongue still and nodded.

Bruce gave one last glance to Jason and tried to convey in silence for Jason to behave, any outburst from him could potentially make Ashley's fate, and it wouldn't be the one the three wanted. Jason blinked back, but wasn't happy about anything that was happening. He held Ashley's hand tightly for a second. "Remember, tell the truth and be honest Ashley." She nodded, took a soft breath, thought about it and took a hit from her inhaler for good measure in case of an attack, and then let go of Jason's hand as she was led by Superman and Wonder Woman to sit in a lone chair. Surrounding the chair several feet away was a thin circular table with half a dozen chairs, all faced toward the lone chair in the middle of the room.

Everyone sat, Ashley glancing around her nervously. She knew most of the face from her comics. Wonder Woman, Superman, Hawkgirl and Manhunter, Batman. But two new faces, masks, sat at the table surrounding her. Now Green Lantern and Flash sat and stared at her. These two hadn't been in the medical room when she'd first come to, but that didn't mean she was any less nervous or scared. Jason's black and white mask caught the light from the corner of the room where he took up residence, away from the council but near enough to her, and he nodded. She was safe, he'd make sure of it, how she had no idea, but the thought calmed her.

"State your name and age." Superman spoke and his voice commanded Ashley's gaze to land on him.

"Ashley Dodge, I'm twenty three, well...actually I'm twenty four now I think. My birthday is usually a week after Thanksgiving." Superman nodded, everyone else staying stoically silent.

"From the beginning, tell us what happened the night you came here until Red Hood found you on the beach." Ashley nodded, taking a soft breath to calm herself, her hands curled on top of her thighs in nerves.

"I went out for Halloween with my friend Spencer, we were drinking pretty heavily with a large group of friends. I'm not sure of the time but it was late, and Spencer went to talk up a guy, Um Spencer is gay," no one even batted an eyelash so she continued, "A guy came up and started flirting with me, he must have... he must have slipped something into my drink. I'm not a lightweight, I can hold my whiskey, but I felt giddy and... and then I guess I blacked out?" She shrugged a shoulder, arms crossing over her middle as she tried to recall the night in question. The night her world turned upside down and inside out. "After that it's flashes of Ja... Red Hood finding me on the beach, I think he did cpr?"

Ashley glanced up and around her, finding every pair of eyes unblinkingly staring at her like she'd grown two heads or had the detonator to a bomb in her hands. She wanted to cry in all honesty, their stares were unsettling and she wanted to panic. But Jason's presence in the room helped ease her nerves, if only a fraction.

"Ashley we're going to ask a series of questions, is it alright if Wonder Woman uses her lasso so we can be sue of your honesty?" Ashley's eyes widened, she didn't want to, the feeling of the rope constricted her movements and brought back times when her brothers had bound her... but she nods, a tear in her eyes she wipes away, desperate to seem strong in front of these superhumans and aliens.

Diana stood and walked through a break in the table, her lasso glowing golden in the lights and Ashley visibly gulped. Wonder Woman gave the girl a gentle pat on the shoulder as the rope wound around her shoulders but Diana was careful not to fully restrict Ashley's arms, seeing how scared she was. When Diana was back to her seat she gave Ashley a small smile to comfort the blonde now tied to her hair.

"Ashley Dodge, where do you come from?"

"Earth I guess? Um I live in North Dakota." The rope was still around her.

"Do you know how you got here?"

"Um, Batman told me if was a portal. But other than what I was told, I have no idea how I got here. I can't even swim.." No reaction from the rope.

"We're assuming you've slipped through the portal by accident thus far. Are you ready to keep going?" Ashley nodded to Green Lantern to her right, a spark of concern in his glowing eyes. She could do this.

"Alright, when you first awoke, you asked us all to remove our masks, why?" Three of the Leaguers around her hadn't been present when the girl was found and resuscitated. They wanted to hear it from her and not second hand.

"You guys...you guys don't exist where I'm from. You're characters in comic books, movies, video games."

"Are we to assume you know each of our identities because of this fact?"

She shakes her head no at them. "Not all of you, I know some...but. See you guys are DC comics and while I like the story arcs, I prefer Marvel. The Avengers and...stuff." She bit her lip as confused faces looked on at her. Not sure how to explain it any better than that.

"Please, point out who you know and the name under the mask."

Ashley started to point and call out names, aliases. Facts that only the hero in question would know and every moment she was more a target of their anger than anything else. The rope still held no glow and was as loose as Diana had placed it about Ashley. "I know there are others, but I don't know their names behind the masks...'

Her hands were shaking as the adults surrounded her with stares and glares she couldn't distinguish. Anger easily seen in some and others she couldn't tell what was going through their minds while their faces were schooled. Jason held her gaze, telling her silently she did good. That small motion from him easing her nerves.

"Ashley, we'd like a sample of your blood to analyze in case of an inherent ability that could manifest." Ashley paled at the thought of a needle but nodded slowly at the one who spoke, Green Lantern. His dark skin a contrast to the neon green of his suit and mask.

"What... what's gonna happen to me?" Her voice sounded so small, terrified as she sat surrounded by earths greatest heroes. She didn't belong here, she couldn't get back to her own universe and she knew too much to be set free.

"That's still in question. But let me ask this Ashley." Superman stood, his hands palm down on the table before him. "With all the information you have of the League and its counterparts, do you have any intention of causing harm and or revealing details that should not be known to the public?"

Ashley sat mouth agape. "How dare you! I know EXACTLY how precious that information is, I know EXACTLY how dangerous it would be if any of it got out! Superman, I would never intentionally give away any of this information, if my life depended on it I can assure you. I would rather die than reveal what I know." The rope didn't even glimmer and Superman's eyes rounded at the outburst then narrowed as the lasso sat vacant on the girls shoulders, conviction clear in her tone and words.

Superman turned to the other Leaguers, all of them sharing looks of astonishment and relief. The girl would be fine, if not still closely watched by someone at all times. They couldn't risk her getting caught up in something she didn't need to be apart of, but then that begs the question. Who watches over her?

"All in favor of letting Ashley Dodge go back to earth?" All hands raised, unanimous. "All in favor of giving her a protection detail in the off chance she is somehow pulled into danger and thus in danger of revealing secrets?" Four to two. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern raising their hands.

"Suggestions for her protection detail?" Diana asked as she tugged the rope free of Ashley's shoulders, the girl sighing in relief as the bound feeling was finally gone.

"Red Hood has done exceptional in keeping her safe." Diana spoke, her words causing Jason to stand straighter from the wall and raise an eyebrow behind the domino mask. Leaning more into his left hip as he watched them warily.

"Yet the only reason he has was because they were in Batman's home and under watchful eyes. I won't trust a drug dealer with her protection." Superman bit bitterly causing Jason to clench his hands into fists at his sides. The muscles filling out his leather jacket taut as he tensed.

"She carries too much information to be so carelessly guarded." Green Lantern spoke up, Jason's eyes scanning over to Bruce. Pleading with the Bat to speak up for his son, to say something instead of the expresionless gaze he had toward the table and no one else. To have some sort of faith still in his second oldest son.

"I disagree." Diana's voice cut through the bickering that was happening, all eyes on the dark haired amazon. "Red Hood is the most logical protection."

"How so?" Flash stood, rage and hurt behind his mask as he looked at Jason hard. Distaste clear on his features.

"Think about it, if anyone ever found out about Ashley and her possibility for information, who would look in Outlaw territory?" Diana wound the rope back up, attaching it to her belt as if she were talking about the weather. She had a point and they all knew it but no one wanted to add their voice .

"I disagree, what stops him from pimping her out like the other women in his territory, territory that you, Batman, are supposed to be watching over." Bruce didn't even move or flinch, his truce with the Red Hood was detested by many if not all of the League. "Or killing her when she becomes too much of a burden? What if he rapes her?"

"Jason wouldn't...do that.." Her voice was small but everyone turned to look at Ashley who still sat in the chair surrounded by the League members. The white in her hair glowing under the bright lights as she spoke, making it seem more prominent. Her gaze turning toward Jason.

"What grounds do you have to believe that? He's a murderer and a thief, a drug dealer." Superman snarled and Ashley flinched at the sound, her eyes wider.

"Because he pulled me from the water, he didn't let me die! He did cpr and carried me through wet sand, to somewhere he knew that could help me. He could have seen my body and left it there, but he didn't." She'd stood in her outburst, eyes fiery and then it calmed the moment she realized she'd practically screamed once more at Superman. "He.. he saved me.." Her eyes looked back toward Jason, she couldn't make out his face with the mask but his shoulders didn't seem so tense in that moment.

"I agree with Diana, she's safest where no one would think to look." Bruce spoke, Manhunter nodding his head in silent agreement.

"All who agree?" Diana asked, raising her hand to her side, three to three. The three opposed being Superman, Hawkgirl and Flash. "Then we're at an impasse here." Ashley sat back down in her chair, hand rubbing at her opposite arm as the adults talked over her. She knew there was good in Jason, he'd sown it to her the past week. More than anything though, she felt safer with the murderer than the Justice League.

"What if we add stipulations?" Diana asked the members who didn't agree.

"Like what?" Green Lantern stood.

"Red Hood must check in with a report, every week via video chat to make sure the girl's healthy and safe." Jason growled at having to abide by League rules and Diana stopped speaking as he stepped closer to the circle, fed up with being ignored. He'd had enough of them treating her like a criminal and him like he'd shot a baby in the face.

"And what if I don't? What if do decide to pimp her out? I'd make a nice profit, pretty girl like her. Or what if I just kill her anyways?" He sneered and Ashley could see the menace he felt for the League. His tone was venomous but patronizing, he meant none of what he had said. Playing off his reputation and past actions. These people had a solid opinion of him and it wouldn't change in a day.

"Do you see? He thinks this is a joke!" Superman called out and waved a hand at Red Hood.

Jason scoffed and crossed his arms, itching to take out a pistol and shoot at Superman. Knowing the bullets would fly right off of him, but still wanting to have the satisfaction of doing it all the same. He needed to stay clam right now, no matter how much rage was boiling under the surface. He promised himself he would not let Ashley out of his sights, he'd protect her.

"I have a solution..." Ashley's meek voice pulled their attention again. "What if...what if Jason wears the lasso when he agrees? Then you'd know he wouldn't um...kill me or anything?" She tucked a lock of mixed white and gold hair behind her ear as she glanced at Jason.

"That's... a good idea..." Diana murmured as she herself looked toward the Red Hood. His stance was stiff and silent, anger pouring from him at the notion of being held by the lasso. The last time they'd tried had been in a fight, Hawkgirl had been shot multiple times, Flash had broken a leg and Green Lantern was unconscoius by the end of it, Jason didn't want the rope around him.

For long moments he stared at Ashley, wondering if it was worth being subjected to the lasso. He had fought tooth and nail the last time and since then the League had not tried it again, leaving him be for the most part. But he finally nodded once, curtly and held out his wrist. That was all they would get, they would not in any way get that rope around his shoulders. Ashley missed the motion of Bruce's jaw dropping open a bit as Jason's reaction to agreeing, calm.

Diana came forward and wrapped the rope around Jason's offered wrist a few times, though his gaze never left Ashley's but to glance at Batman who was now stoic as ever. "Jason, do you agree to the stipulations of watching over Ashley Dodge?" Diana asked the question and got an answer before the rest of the League would.

"Yes." Simple, one word and the rope stayed still and bare of it's glow that signalled dishonesty. A flick of the wrist and it was free of his arm, Jason moved forward, grabbed Ashley's arm and shocked everyone as she curled into his side for comfort, on the verge of tears from the stress she had been put through. "I'd like to get back on solid earth of you Leaguers are done with us." It was more a statement then a request, Diana and Bruce nodded escorting Red Hood and Ashley back to the teleporter pads.

Once the metal walls and bright lights turned to the dimly lit Batcave, Ashley let out a breath of relief and sagged against Jason's side for a moment before standing on her own feet. She chewed her lip and realized Bruce had stayed on the base, it was just her and Jason standing in the cave. His hand reached up and slipped off the black and white mask, he'd worn it out of spite more than anything. Everyone knew who he was, every single one of the League knew.

"Well that was fun..." He snarked, going over to the shelf he'd been keeping his weapons and loading them up into a small duffel bag underneath it. "Go get your things, were not staying here now all that bullshit is over with." He paused, hands shoving a pistol into the duffel bag as Ashley just stood there in silence with her arms wrapped around her middle.

"Hey, you're cleared of them. You did good." She lifted the corner of her lips for a moment.

"Yeah, but now you actually have to babysit me... I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that. I just... didn't want to be stuck up there.." Jason sighed and dropped the duffel bag, reaching her in two steps. His hands rose and cupped her cheeks as gently as he could with the rage still under his skin. She needed gentle right now and he was still capable of a little of it.

"Look dollface, you did what you had to survive and I get that. But don't think for a second I don't wanna watch over you, you've kinda grown on me sweetheart." He smiles, a turning up of his lips. "But I do have to warn you Ashley, I am a murderer, I'm a killer and I don't feel remorse for it. Superman was right when he said I have girls I pimp out and drugs I sell. I'm not a good man. If you want to stay here, that's fine. I wont contest it and the League will be happy abut it to. But it's your choice."

Ashley looked up at him with bright eyes, her cheeks flushed from stress of the day taking its toll on her and he can see her exhaustion in her gaze. He said the truth, he wouldn't mind watching out for her, it'd be a hell of a lot easier for her to be with him in his own territory, the commute was awful for patrols and his dealings. But that's why he had Roy, Kori and a slew of others under his reign. He wasn't a good man, the girls working on his streets did it because they wanted to, he always gave them the chance to get out an he made sure they were safe when on jobs. The drugs he dealt were of top quality and he made sure nobody skimped on his profits, those who wanted to quit were given the aide they needed to do it. He was a bad man but he wasn't soulless, though that begged to differ.

"And stay here with Damian? By myself? He'll kill me in my sleep!" They both chuckled softly at that, Damian would very likely do just that, maybe. "No, I get what you're saying Jason. But it won't be anything new to me.." He nodded, pushed at her lower back up the steps while he finished packing his gear from the cave. The zipper tugged and he shoulders the strap, white light erupted and Bruce was standing back in his cave, watching Jason.

They said nothing to each other and Jason went up the steps, there was nothing to say. Their truce was feable and Jason was on edge from being at the League base for such a long time, it made his skin crawl and his anger ebb and flow. They wanted him locked up and as far as they were concerned he could die in a drug raid, none of them would bat an eyelash, happy to be rid of him. He was a mark on Bruce's name and nothing to be done about it. Jason could save a million lives and none of it would atone for what hes done. So why try.


	17. Chapter 17

Jason led Ashley down to the garage, his bike had the duffel of gear strapped to the back and Ashley had a similar one crossed over her back. The white helmet sat on the seat and Jason went to hand it to her when Alfred came into the garage. "Master Jason, will you be back for Christmas?" The hurt in the old mans eyes gave Jason pause, Alfred never once gave Jason grief like Bruce did, loving him the way a grandfather and father should.

A deep sigh left Jason's lips and he had a small smile on his lips, he knew Alfred had a few presents for Ashley under the tree from himself and Jason. Just so she wouldn't be left out, the holiday three days away now. But he couldn't stay in this house anymore than needed, he had a territory to run and bad people to kill off or jail. Ashley now in tow with him. "Yes, I'll be back Chistmas eve, but don't make them wait on me." Alfred nodded, relief on his features that Jason would in fact come back for the holiday, he missed having all the boys under one roof.

"Then I will be awaiting your return master Jason, miss Ashley, please be careful and don't forget to come back in two weeks for your checkup." Ashley nodded, moving forward and throwing her arms around the older man. Alfred returned it and smiled into Ashley's hair, it's been a long while since he'd had some affection from a child he took care of, all the boys too old to give heartfelt hugs like they used to.

Ashley released Alfred and smiled at him before turning and putting on the white helmet that was Jason's as a youth. "Ashley, please takes Tim's old coat, I'm sure it won't fit him anymore and you'll catch your death out in this cold." Jason was thankful and started to hand it to Ashley so she could put in on.

"Goodbye, Alfred." Jason murmured and started the bike, Ashley climbing on behind him, holding on tight to his sides and waist as Jason took off. The garage door closed behind them. Alfred watched the door for a few moments, pondering what the future might hold. He only hoped Ashley could calm the rage in Jason's soul. Or be his downfall.

Ashley gripped tight to Jason's back, watching through the dark visor of the helmet as Gotham flew by them alley by alley and street by street. But Jason didn't go to Roy and Kori's apartment, though that is where he stayed sometimes after long nights out working, no he had his own apartment a few blocks down from them. A bit bigger and more secure than Roy's. He hadn't taken Ashley to this one for a reason, it wasn't homely like Roy's place. It was sparse and filled with guns, ammo, and he hadn't swept the floor in who knew how long. But with Kori as mischevious as ever around Ashley, he decided he'd rather her be with him then with Roy and Kori. The two would most likely talk the girl into a threesome.

Like Roy's apartment, he had a lift that would take his bike up to the floor he wanted. He owned the whole building though. So there were no neighbors and no one to use the lift when he wasn't there. It was locked and pass-coded for that soul reason, security. The gates unlocked with his code and Jason moved the bike to the lift, reaching over to lock the gate back and make sure they were clear for the lift to take them up.

The engine cut out and Jason sat for a moment as he took off his helmet, the red gleam of it shining in the dim light of the lamp he always left on in the corner. "It's not as nice as Roy's but, its home." Jason climbed off the bike to let Ashley stand and take off her helmet.

"I thought you lived with Roy?" Jason shakes his head at her as he turns on lights, illuminating the rest of the large open space, support beams every fifteen feet holding the building solid.

"Those two get on my damn nerves, besides, Kori's a screamer." He smirks as Ashley catches on, her face going pink for a second before she rolls her eyes.

"Did not need to know that. Could have just said they were loud." The leather coat comes off and she lays it across the back of an easy chair, her duffel over her shoulder.

"What's the fun in that?" With his coat gone he makes sure to turn the heat back up, the small module on the wall more high tech then the brick walls gave the buildings age. He moves, leans his hip on the counter top, watching as Ashley looks about. Her hair mussed from the helmet and starting to pull from the braid it had been in. Light reflecting off the gleam of the dark gold locks.

"You didn't have to take me in Jason. You still could have told me to stay in the manor." She turns and crosses her arms, voice still a bit hoarse but growing stronger with use. "So why?"

He shrugs and steps closer to her, making sure to corner her a bit behind the couch with his frame. She had been driving him crazy at the manor. Her soft smile and that hidden snark, hiding those curves of hers under layers of sweaters and cashmere only drove him further into insanity. She was a prize he needed to collect, a bastard he was and he knew it, but then again so did she. Alfred, Damian and Bruce had all been keeping watch in their own way. Jason really hadn't had a chance to get close to her but for a few scant moments here and there. Now, with no one to interrupt or tell him to back off, he wanted Ashley to make the choice if he would or could pursue her, or not at all.

She was damn gorgeous, he wouldn't deny that about her. There was no hiding her curves, the toned muscles of her thighs or the way her hair shone healthy in natural light. How expressive her eyes were in every moment she was awake, and the bite in her tone when upset or embarrassed, it drove him wild. He was a man and he wouldn't push back the feelings looking at her stirred in him, but he also knew to hold back and not push a woman who didn't want attention.

"Maybe, so I could get you alone doll." His hands reached out to the back of the couch, effectively caging her in but giving her enough space to push back if she didn't want this. "None'a the girls working for the Hood are as pretty as you." There's a fire burning in her eyes but she knows he's kidding, working her up. She knows he won't sleep with his girls.

"If you wanted me alone it wouldn't have been that hard, I couldn't exactly scream then." She's playing along, leaning her back into the couch, not towards him but she's not pushing him away either. "You're Jason-fucking-Todd, you get what you want, when you want and how you want it."

"Damn straight I do. Now what if I told you, I wanted you?" The lock of his bright hair falls into his face, lining the bridge of his nose as he leans over her. She's tall for a woman, but not as tall as him at towering six foot four. Women built like Ashley, tall strong and curvy, with handful of long hair, that's what a woman was in Jason's eyes. He watched as a blush colored her cheeks a slight pink, the way her breath caught in her throat for a half beat and her teeth biting into her bottom lip.

He wanted to know what she might say in this situation. Because what she says now will determine how he treats her for the duration of her stay and then how he acts around her in his apartment. He won't push a woman that doesn't want him, but if she gives a go ahead, he's gonna go after her, hard. The fact she had this fantasy version of him didn't bother him, it gave her an edge because she knew of him before she met him and still she didn't run or hide. They'd talked about it once before, if she had some sort of dream version of him in her fantasies. She'd explained that yes, she had but seeing him in person was a shocking revelation and even though he acted like she'd imagined, he didn't look like what she pictured. He looked better. He looked more, and Jason had felt his already inflated ego near burst at that.

"I'd say, it's about damn time, Todd." Her breath caught and he smirked down at her. Leaning further forward his nose brushed hers before he spoke.

"Got your inhaler, doll?" She nods and Jason doesn't wait for anything else, his lips crashing to her own, nearly pushing her over the back of the couch and toward the cushions. But his hips held her in place while his hands roamed over her back. Her duffel hit the rug covered floor with a dull thud as she reached up to grip at his shoulders.

Jason made sure to give her a break, her gasping breath had a tinge of a wheeze to it and he knew he needed to slow it down. She wasn't at one hundred percent yet and he'd feel like shit later if he went too far right now. "You good?" She nods, her nose brushing against his cheek as he smirks at her.

He pulls back some, lets her catch her breath. Surprised when she grips his sweater and pulls him back to her lips, demanding attention. He gladly gave it, her lips soft and warm, the taste of chocolate chip cookies and mint tea on her tongue. Groaning he has to pull back, nipping at her bottom lip when she mews like a kitten against him, fuck. "Easy, sweetheart." She pouts, panting softly for breath and it's so damn cute he smiles.

But then his burner phone rings and he growls out, a totally different sound compared to the one he'd just made toward her. It's his work phone, the Outlaw King's phone, and it's buzzing up a storm on the counter top as it rings. He's already moving, picking up the phone and putting a finger to his lips as Ashley opens her mouth to ask what it is. She nods, mouth clamping shut and she stills from her movements of following him, not wanting to make any noise.

"What?" He answers, and his voice is a little breathless, the person on the other end could suck it.

'Shipment's in, need your approval to move it.'

"I'll be there in ten minutes, don't touch it."

'Yeah boss.' The line ends and he snaps the cheap phone shut, placing it back on the counter as he stares at it. Sometimes his work has horrible timing.

"Sooooo, work?" She's moved to the easy chair, slumping down into it. Her lips are plump and cheeks flushed, pride filling his chest but it deflates as soon as it comes. He has to go.

"Yeah, I gotta go." He straightens, peeling the sweater off as he walks to his bedroom to get a fresh set on and strap his kevlar in place. When he comes back she's sitting up more and playing with the end of her braid nervously.

"I'll be back... at some point tonight." His domino mask in place, feet move him over to her and hand her the remote to the television. "You'll be good?" It's a double question, she'll be fine as long as she stays here. But he's asking if she'll be good and actually stay here, he remembers how she found the cave after only a few minutes of looking. Except if she found the Hood's Den, she may be shot before he can get to her. His underlings weren't the nicest people.

"I'm not stupid Jason, I know what you do out there. I also know better than to try and fit in where I will most likely be killed on sight." She curls her legs under her, he hadn't even realized she'd taken off her boots by the lift. "I'm good here, as long as you have good wifi?" she realized an eyebrow and he grinned.

"That I do, password is -dickisadick-, watch all the porn you want, pretty girl." Ashley smacked his arm but then gripped the leather of his jacket and pulled him close, he let her with her smaller strength and grinned at her hungrily.

"Can we finish what was interrupted?" She blushed at his forwardness but Jason only found it hot, girl knew what she wanted and it inflated his ego that it was him. "When you get back?"

"Depends on what was interrupted?" Jason leaned forward and nips his way over her jawline, to her neck and then her earlobe. Relishing in her soft skin and finding more raised marks hidden under her hair and shirts.

"Come back early and find out?" She sounded coy, he could see a flicker of nerves in her eyes but it didn't matter. She was being more forward then he'd seen her and he thinks it may be the same thing that held him back at the manor, prying eyes.

"No promises, the work of a drug lord is never done." His teeth tug at her ear and she moans under her breath, god this was killing him. But he needed to go, now. "Do not leave this apartment, understand? I haven't told anyone but Roy and Kori you were here and I'd rather keep it that way for a while, some may see it as a way to.."

"Get to you or even make you go crazy because what the fuck, why does Todd have a girl or whatever?" She rolls her eyes, play light in her voice. "Jason, I've read so much mob fanfiction and documentaries I know the ins and outs of how mobsters think, I think. Plus i lived it. I'm not leaving. I have no intention of becoming a target, again."

He nods , ruffs her hair like he had been for days now and went down the lift. This time with a much bigger and faster bike than he'd been using. Ashley watched him leave from the easy chair, hearing the click of the locks on the gate and lift resound around her and she was alone.


	18. Chapter 18

Jason's territory consisted of a larger branch of Gotham everyone preferred to forget about. It had been part of mob territory for a few generations, from italians to sicillians and so forth. Always one killing the ruler of the small kingdom, never lasting longer then a decode or two before the next reigning champ would come forward, kill the king and rule over all. Black Mask had been the last king and when Jason had killed the bastard, Jason couldn't see why not to take up the mantle and keep the businesses running. It made good money, he'd help those who wanted out and dispose of those who stood in his way. His girls were cared for and protected, could leave anytime they wanted but couldn't pimp themselves out on the side. His drugs were top notch and clean, those who wanted to overdose were allowed because that was there choice and those that didn't were given a small amount of cash to repair themselves. If they spent it on more drugs, a second chance would not be given.

So far, he thought he was doing a good job as a crime lord, inwardly scoffing, his birth father would be real proud of him at this point. But it made cash he used to put back into the small community that was under his rule. What Bruce saw the past week, he'd let his adoptive father see the old Jason for the days they spent under the manors roof. He let Bruce glimpse that side of himself, because out here, in his territory and on his turf, he wasn't that man anymore. He wasn't Jason Todd, he was Outlaw King, JT. The Red Hood reigned here and he was ruthless when things didn't go his way.

His fist punched once more into the older man's gut, ignoring the moans of pain as the man fell. Jason's boot meeting the muscle and ribs of his back. "This is your one and only warning dick-less." Jason seethed from beneath the red shelled helmet over his face and head. The man bleeding from broken teeth and shattered ribs had tried to stiff him, hiding over a kilo of heroin under the seat in the delivery van. Thinking Jason wouldn't noticed a few of the rolled up packages weren't the exact weight as the others. His cooks were meticulous when it came to packaging his product. The weight was never off.

"Everybody gets one, you've been here three months. I can replace you easy." Jason gave one final kick, nearly dislocating the man's jaw from his skull, turned on his heel and walked calmly out of the garage. The rest of his crew following suit behind him while others stayed to finish the deliveries and help the man gurgling blood to a medic.

Jason didn't care about the filth he'd just beaten to a near pulp. The man was known for trying to skim on his deliveries and payments, however the hood didn't take that shit from anyone. That's why he checked every shipment and every packaging day. He wasn't about to let a dog try to bite the hand that fed him.

He made his way down the street and into an old red brick church, the chapel. It's where the front to his dealings took place and where many of his followers grouped up for meetings. He was weary of the night already. More annoyed than anything. Because there was a pretty blonde in his apartment basically waiting for him to come back from his dealings, and didn't give a damn about them. With nothing else to do he set the next shipment in order and waved off any attempt to talk to his person with a snarl from behind the red helmet. He was done with tonight.

Roy came to his side as Jason left the chapel, falling into step beside his friend and leader. He waited until the chapel was in the distance and the shadows fell heavy on the two young men. Roy's eyes were half hidden behind some of his unruly short curls and the ball cap on his head as they walked. "Does she know?" Jason grunted out an answer and Roy nodded.

Slowly Jason's steps slowed until they stopped and Roy stood beside his long time friend now, watching as Jason pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. The helmet clicked back into it's smaller form and Jason lifted the cig to his lips, smoke billowing from them as he breathed. "Her life before, she was part of this world and didn't even realize it. From what she's told me so far, before she could actually talk to me, she knows her father was a big time crime lord or something like it, she never knew until she was older."

Roy shook his head. "How do you not know something like that?" Jason shrugged.

"She was well kept maybe? Sometimes the daughters never know until it's too late."

For a moment Roy was silent but he turned to Jason. "'Too late' looks like it found her." Jason nodded, Roy hadn't missed the white in her hair or the subtle scarring of her ear. It had been all he'd seen with the heavy layers from the bitter cold, but it was enough to get the gist. "Think she can handle it?"

Jason chuckles and nods, flicking ash to the pavement. "She started yelling at Superman, to defend me." Roy's jaw dropped and he stared wide eyed at Jason. "I'm not kiddin', she just started yellin' and Sup'man didn't know what the fuck to do."

"Man I wish I could have seen that." They started walking again, if only to get their blood pumping from the freezing cold wind that had started up around them.

"I don't know if she can handle it or not Roy, I'm gonna see what happens. If she can't well, I'll take her back to Bruce and that'll be the end of it." Roy side eyed his friend, they both knew that wouldn't happen. Jason was attached to the girl, otherwise he wouldn't have agreed to watch her, protect her. Away from prying eyes. The people Jason protects are few and far between.

"But you think she can, is what you're saying?" Jason nodded back, flicking the butt of his spent cigarette to the cracked concrete and looked up into the cloudy sky where only on clear nights you could barely make out the stars. This city so filled with smog and decay, while the center of commerce tried to make everything looked marbled and clean. It was a ruse. The entire city looked like this, no matter how pretty you painted it. But it was their city.

Thinking on Roy's question, yes. He did think so. He thought she could make it in this world of crime and kingdoms where borders were streets and knights toted guns instead of swords. That fire in her, the one that sparked and spitted to flame when yelling at Superman, a man four times her size and strongest in the world. Only by sheer will alone, she could survive being beaten to near death and still be as beautiful as ever, scars and all.

She was part of it already in her world. She'd survived then and she'll survive now. He'll teach her how to love the streets, to rule them like his father had taught him before he'd been taken in by Bruce Wayne. The Bat had tried so desperately to teach Jason how to live the right way. But there way no right way. There were hundreds of different ways to live the 'right' way and still die from something you couldn't prevent. It didn't matter.

"Yeah, I think she can." They had reached the split in the streets where Roy would go one way and Jason another. The pair stood side by side for a moment.

"Jason?"

"Yeah, man?"

"Don't fuck this one up man, we're getting too old to be living the lone wolf and I got Kori now. Maybe it's your turn, yeah?" Roy gave a soft smile and waved as he turned down the street towards his apartment and left Jason staring at the slowly blinking caution light at the intersection.

"Todd, don't fuck this up..." He whispered to himself as he shook his head, headed toward his bike. He full heartedly agreed with Roy on what the red head had said. They were in their early twenties, but that was middle aged for a vigilante or hero. Hell, Batman was nearly ancient besides the supers that were actually alien.

Even if he got to have a little happiness for just a little while, he'd soak it up as much as he could. Enjoy it for as long as possible before it went up in flames. He'd do his damndest to make sure Ashley didn't get caught aflame with his fire, but in the back of his mind she'd already started that blaze herself whens she'd dressed as him in her world to feel powerful and free. When really all that he brings himself is agony and rage. Rage that hadn't left him since his youth and only intensified with the pit.

Ashley was out cold until she heard the rattle of the lift and the roar of Jason's bike before its engine cut off on the way up. Jason spotted her sitting up form the big easy chair, deep red blanket thrown over her legs as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. Crap, it was nearly four am. It's an early night for him, an easy night. He hadn't realized how late it might be when they made their deal earlier. He'd been gone well over seven hours now.

Jason sat on his bike, hand on his thigh as he smirks over at her sleepy form. She hadn't changed clothes and she was sleep ruffled, the television still playing softly across the small living space he'd created with couches and easy chairs. Ashley stayed where she was for a moment, a little sway to her shoulders and she suddenly sloped back down to her curled up position, tugging the blanket over her body. An obvious sign she wanted to go straight back to sleep and was only awoken by the bike and lift.

Chuckling softly Jason made sure his locks were in place and then shed his leather and masks, pressing the safety on his guns and laying them carefully down on the wooden crates to one side of the open apartment. He made his way over to her sleeping form, curled into a tiny ball if that was even possible the way she was laying had to be injuring her bone structure or ligaments. Picking her up was easy, blanket and all. Only this time she wasn't half drowned and blood slowly dripping from her lips as she convulsed in his arms. This time she was still and sleeping gently.

He'd take the couch for the night, the only bed in the apartment was easily large enough for three people. But he didn't want to press his luck, no matter how her hair was mussed or the expanse of her throat with soft skin was exposed. "Killin' me doll." He murmurs gently as his hand flips back the rich blankets and the other gently lowers her down to the plush bed. It's one of the things he spent a lot of money on, he may not sleep a lot, but by god he'd be comfy when he did. Ashley felt the bed beneath her and curled into the pillows, back arching for a moment before rolling back up onto her side, a pillow hugged to her cheek and squeezed in her arms.

"Jason?" Her head lifted form the pillows, hair falling over her face in tangled locks.

"Yeah?"

"There's blood on your knuckles." He looks down and sure enough, there's a spray of red that's dried to a deep color on his skin. Where he'd punched and beat into the guy who had been trying to stiff him over. His gaze found hers, no longer sleep addled but awake and alert as she lent up on hr elbow under the covers. "What happened?"

"Nothin', dollface." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Jason, remember what I said earlier? I'm not stupid to how this works." He lets out a breath before a soft dark laugh and nods, peeling off his kevlar. The velcro and snaps echoing loudly in the quiet of the room.

"How deep are you willing to get into this shit?" The more she knew, the more danger she could potentially be in, League orders or not she would always be a few steps away from a weakness to him or Roy, Kori. The League wanted her safe, in order for that to be actually true, she needed to be in the manor or as far away from him as possible. With every fact she discovered or was told about this territory, it could put her in potential danger from any of his enemies, and that list grew every day.

She lifts a shoulder and brushed back the thickness of her hair from her face. "It was going on behind my back since I was a kid, a stupid kid who only paid attention to the clothes and toys and.." She growls softly to herself, a sound he hadn't yet heard from her lips and he can see the anger welling up in her eyes, "I never noticed when people just stopped coming around, never paid attention when I had to sit in the limo and play with toys while my own father was doing exactly what you were probably doing earlier. Roughing up one of his guys for doing him wrong, stiffing him over and stealing profit. Right?" Jason crossed his arms and nodded, didn't care about the blood on his hands, they would always be stained.

"Jason, I lived in ignorance until my dad got sick and my brothers started taking over, things changed. They weren't as careful, did things in public they shouldn't have, pushed boundaries and took chances that shouldn't have been taken. When rapid gunfire is showering into your house at night, for no other reason but you pissed off another family for encroaching on territory that's been set in stone for generations, you figure it out pretty quick."

His blue green eyes lock onto hers, finding no fault and no fear, just resignation that she understood and wouldn't judge. He nods and wipes a hand over his jaw. "You're right, had a guy trying to skimp over a shipment. Everybody on my turf gets one chance, but that's it, and he used his up tonight. If it happens again, I'll slit his throat." She doesn't even flinch when he says it, just tilts her head to the side and nods at him.

His body sits on the bed, turning to face her. "You know how some of it works, I'll give you that. But so do most people who watch a documentary or netflix movie." She rolls her eyes at that. "But were you ever involved in any of it? Ever get your hands dirty?" At that she does still, her gaze unable to hold his own and it flickers to the other side of the room. Nope, he's not having that, she's been open and honest so far, no stopping that now. His hand cups her chin, tugging her back to look at him, refusing to budge or let go when she tries to pull away.

"Before they beat me, my father tried to get me involved. Make me see what he did and told my brothers to teach me. They set me up for a fake shipment delivery. I got nicked in the thigh and sort of blacked out I guess, adrenaline. Next thing I know I got a semi automatic in my hands and the clip is empty, I'm still pulling the trigger and there's ten bodies on the ground." Jason doesn't let go of her chin, but he does yank her forward and mold his lips to hers at the confession.

His large hands tangle in her hair and hold her hostage against his lips and tongue, the little whimpers coming from her throat only push him to keep going until he knows she needs to breath before her lungs collapse and he finally releases her. "I can't promise that you won't have to fight tooth and nail at some point, but I can promise I won't let you get hurt."

"I've been hurt before Jason, it'll happen again I'm sure. But don't keep shit from me that could put me in that position." She's a little breathless from a moment ago and Jason lets her calm for a moment.

"The League ordered me to keep you safe, but I'm not much for following orders anymore. I'll keep you safe, but here you're in danger when you're not with me. I want an honest answer Ashley, why did you agree for me to watch over you? You could have stayed with Bruce and been safe." His hand had reached up to catch her cheek in his palm, refusing to let her look away right now. He needed to see the thoughts behind her eyes so she wouldn't try to hide something from him.

"Bruce is Batman, I mean the Batman, and they're the League and they protect people but... they don't see themselves as people anymore. I don't trust them to put me first, but then again I don't know if I completely trust that with you. You barely know me... but I know that Bruce scares the shit out of me and I'd rather be on a rock of Kryptonian than anywhere near Superman. If I could run I would Jason, but I can't. We both know I'd never get out of the city before Bruce found me." She leans into his touch a fraction and sighs out a scoff.

"I chose the best option that put me in a safe place, where the League won't come near me unless I do something stupid. I know with you I'll stay under the radar, they don't care enough about me to lock me up obviously, so I keep my nose clean and stay out of their minds. Besides, I might be chasing a fantasy because you're here in the flesh and I'm not giving that up." There's a smirk slipping onto her lips and Jason slowly returns it.

"So I'm just the better option for safety?" He teases softly, leaning closer. His teeth nipping at the soft flesh of her jaw.

"No, you're about the most dangerous man I could be around." His lips find her neck, teasing her flesh. Egging her on to keep speaking.

"Then why?"

"Because I'm tired of being the one beaten down, I'm done with it." She leans back, making sure his lust filled gaze was set on hers and watching her carefully. The oceanic color of them shining bright. "You lived on the streets, studied under Bruce Wayne and the League of Assassins. So I'm asking you Jason, to teach me to do more than run and hide."

Jason jerked his head back from her a few inches, gaze narrowing as he looked at her. Making sure there were no tells that made her out to be dishonest.. that she might be lying. That she couldn't possibly mean what she was asking of him. She couldn't possibly be serious. But the look of sheer determination in her eyes was bold and shining bright, not flickering behind timidity or nervousness. What she was asking was stupid, dangerous and a slew of other words that meant the same thing. Crazy.

But she didn't take it back even as he gripped her cheeks in his palms and brought her face closer, making sure there was no flicker of doubt in her gaze. He understood her want, to be stronger, faster, able to defend herself. And he agreed to that to an extent. All women should know simple self defense, know how to disarm an attacker or how to pick a lock if she needed to hide. But she wanted more than that.

"I picked you over all of them Jason, because I know you won't shove morals down my throat. You'll teach me survival." Her voice was stronger now than it had been a moment ago. Filled with conviction and a desperate need of an answer from him.

"You sure about that Dodge?" She nods vehemently, hair falling into her face slightly as she does so. There's something about the white in her hair, maybe how it shines in the moonlight from his half open blinds. Maybe it's the blush to her cheeks or how her lips are kiss swollen. It could be the darkness swirling in her eyes he felt so familiar with. Whatever it was, he nodded to her.

"Alright doll face," he pushes back the hair from her face and tangles his fingers into it at the base of her skull, keeping his grip tight but not tugging the roots too badly. "You wanna learn ,fine, I'll teach ya. But you gotta know one thing, first rule if you will." She leans into the tugging of her hair but keeps her eyes locked onto his own. "My word goes, it's law." She doesn't even pause, just nods again. "Nuh uh, words pretty girl."

"I understand." Jason wants to go a little further, she how far she'll go. How bad she wants not only for what shes asking with her words but whats he wants with her body. He raises an eyebrow and waits, tightens his grip just a fractional amount. Let's a slow growl seep from his throat and he grins as she shudders visibly, a tremor going through her spine. He wondered if she'd say the right thing, it wouldn't matter. If she didn't he'd correct her and wouldn't go about it again, but he wondered, with her knowledge of him from her world, if she knew what to call him in his territory. "Hood." See, he smirks, she knew it. Though it wasn't hard to figure out. Most just went with asshole and slew of other expletives and stupid nicknames for him.

"You might regret this Dodge." She shakes her head in his grip and leans forward. Breath mingled with his, warm and soft against his skin as her lips brushed his.

"I won't." Jason releases her hair as he kisses her once more, pressing her back against the bed, his boots getting kicked off as he kneels over her frame. Hair fanned out about her shoulders in thick locks over the pillows.

She was gorgeous in the moonlight and cliche as that sounded she really was. The white in her hair shining and tanned flesh looked soft as silk. His palm reached out to tug down the collar of her sweater, it was already a size too big and her skin was showing beneath it, instead Ashley wriggled and tugged the sweater off. The expanse of her shoulders and arms bare as well as her collarbone. Lips and teeth nipping at her exposed skin and Ashley keened, shifting to push her torso upwards into his mouth and Jason gladly laved over her skin, tasting her.

"Killin' me sweetheart." Her hands were fumbling with the buckle of his belt, fingers brushing at his zipper and groin. A groan slipped his lips and he pushed her hands away, pulling the belt clean from his loops in one fluid motion. The belt went toward the floor while his fingers tugged down the zipper of his jeans, his mouth never leaving her neck. "Off." He tugged at the front pocket of her own pants and she wriggled out from under him. Hips rocking as she shimmied out of the tight garment, kicking her feet out of them while Jason whipped off his sleeveless muscle shirt.

Hovering over her again Jason grinned, gripped her hips and rolled them over so she sat over top of his groin, his hands tight on her thighs to hold her in place while she gasped at the feeling of his hardened cock, hidden between his jeans and her panties, rubbed at her clothed entrance. He could feel the heat rolling off of her and groaned once more, rocking her over him with his hands while hers lay over his abdomen, tracing over the hardened planes of muscles there. "Good god, you're fucking ripped..." She murmered, a bit breathless and stared at his chest and arms, Jason's smirk broad. He preened under her gaze, knowing he was indeed ripped.

"Fair is fair." He starts to pull off her grey tank top from her frame, biting his lip as her stomach came into view and then her bra covered breasts. The baby blue lace on her chest had Jason sitting up suddenly, causing Ashley to gasp and cling to his shoulders while his lips lightly traced the outline of her soft breast that was peeking from over the top of the bra. A quick flick of practiced fingers has the tightness of the wire and lace band loose on her frame, the straps falling slack on her shoulders and the cups fall away as Jason pulls it off of her, freeing the globes of flesh into his hungry mouth.

He can't control himself, they're damn near perfect and right in front of him. Teeth gnaw and he could probably be a bit gentler with her, but she's not complaining so he continues to nibble and lave over her breasts while his hands palm her smooth thighs, noting the hard muscle of them as he goes to roll them again. Her legs are wide spread now and his hips waste no time rolling out a rythum into her core. The blue cloth covering her is damp and hot as fire, his jeans are open and if he twists enough, he could most likely get them down low enough to free his cock. But he doesn't, not just yet. Her nails are tugging at his hair and causing him to grunt against her flesh, his eyes glance up and find her back arched, neck bared and mouth agape as she pants, her thighs clamping tight as they can on his hips that hold her spread open.

"Fuck, that's hot.." He leans up, pants hit the floor, his boxers joining the wide spread clothes. There's a soft wheeze to her breathing and he pauses, catches her jaw in his palm to make her eyes open and look at him. "You good?" She takes a moment to nod, fingers tight at his forearm that's holding her chin.

Making sure she was good, he reached over to the bedside table. The drawer was half open and he blindly started to root through the wooden box while his lips attacked hers once more. She felt so fucking good against him, chest to chest. Ashley was by no means soft, just her skin, she was more toned and muscled than she looked and Jason enjoyed the way she pushed back against him, trying and failing to be dominant, a feisty thing. Jason growled and pulled back some to actually look with his eyes into the drawer, finding an empty box of condoms and a bottle of cherry flavored lube. "Fuck.." He groaned and leaned his forehead against her shoulder for a second.

"I have an implant?" She timidly murmurs against his earlobe and Jason chuckles, shaking his head as he leans back again to grin at her.

"Won't work sweetheart, the pit did more than make me stronger. I've got super swimmers." Ashley blushes, eyes wide and Jason couldn't help but laugh gently once more. It was true, she might as well know the truth. Shifting some, he reached for his jeans. Knowing he kept one in his wallet, it should be in there. He hadn't had a good fuck in months, seven months. "Here we go." The foil packet crinkled in his fingers.

"Let me." Ashley tapped his hip urging Jason to roll them back over so he lay back on his pillows, eyebrow raised as Ashley shimmied down to his knees. The packet in her fingers ripped open and she set the condom between two fingers and against her lips. Jason watched and then his gaze widened, Ashley bent forward and slid the condom on him, with her mouth. Her lips wrapped around him was fucking heaven and a slice of cake, a deep groan came form him as she sat back and took a deep breath. "Fuck, your thick, Todd."

Jason only grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward, tasting her lips with teeth and tongue while his other grabbed a handful of her pretty underwear and ripped it clean off. Her gasp was swallowed into his kiss while hands pulled her back over his cock, teasing her hot entrance, slick honey coating over him. The whimper that was caught in her throat made Jason growl back, rolling them once more and hovering over her.

Ashley's hair was wild and thick locks were tangled covering her face to her chest, the rest fanned out beside her while her chest heaved and Jason looked down at her, like he was waiting for something. Brushing hair from her face, she reached up and cupped Jason's song jaw in her hands, tugging him to her as her hips bucked, giving him every sign to go ahead. And he did, pushing into her hungry cunt.

"Come on, relax girl." He hissed into her ear as he continued to pull and push, getting further and further into her with every thrust. She was tight, so effing tight.

"I'm tr-trying!" Ashley grips his shoulder and arches her back, she's as relaxed as she can be, but fuck it's been forever and a half and Jason is above average. "Fuck, just...Jason just fuck me already!" She's arching her back and clawing at his biceps like a cat in heat.

He mumbles something into her neck but her hands are pinned down above her head in one of his palms, fingers holding her tight. His hips rear back and he slams home, a soft scream of pleasure comes form her lips followed by a low gasp. But she arches her shoulders again and wriggles her hips. She's tight, holding onto his dick like a damn vice of velvet steel. Jason bites softly into the soft cord of her neck and he starts to move. Every thrust causing his teeth to release and bite down once more, over and over and over. She'll be bruised pretty nice in the morning.

"Fuck..." She keeps fighting the hold on her wrists and Jason lets her, because he's not letting go, his dominant side won't let him. But he so enjoys the fight she's putting up to try and move more, to get more from him. To relax her body.

"There we go sweetheart." She preens under his breathless words as his other hand slips between them to rub at her swollen clit, her body reacting like it had been hit with a live wire and she bucks against him. Velvet wall of her cunt tightening over and over with every touch over her clit. She still fights his hold though so he stops his fingers and even slows his hips to a torturous pace. Ashley whines, a soft whimpering and her hips start bucking frantically to get friction or movement. "Be a good girl, quit fighting me." His teeth graze her earlobe. "Be a good girl." God he groans, she reacts to his praising and her cunt gets so fucking tight for a second he sees stars and slams into her once before he catches himself.

"Jason please..please..." Her head throws itself back and she whines once more, starting to tremble with want, but Jason goes back to his slow pace, reveling in her heat and wetness as he pumps in and out of her.

He's teasing her so much, there's almost tears in her eyes, he won't hold out much longer with how tight she's clenching onto him and the sweat starting to coat their bodies. He's just curious to how she'll react, everything about her intrigues him. Besides, if he doesn't get anything out of her now, he'll just wake her up with his mouth between her legs, that always gets a woman to start spilling hidden secrets on the bedroom. "Tell me what you want, I'll give it to you."

"Fuck...Jason please just fuck me, please fuck me.." He does give her a hard push inside, he knows he hit something when she cries out in pleasure and her back arches sharply. Find either her g-spot or her cervix.. Jason gives another one and this time feels the barrier deep inside of her when he bottoms out fully. Yep, cervix.

"Fuck, Jason please!" She's wriggling her hips and crying out in frustration. Jason grinned wickedly, starting up his pace again. Not as fast or hard as before but enough to appease her and him. "Fuck fuck fuck...god yes..." Jason's eyes close as she cries out.

"Then be a good girl and take it..." Jason whispers into her ear before to starts to really go at her. Hips snapping forward, cock bottoming out in every thrust and soft growls slipping from his throat as she thrashes and screams out in pleasure. He leans down as he pounds into her, teeth snagging her neck once more in a bruising bite.

Ashley lets loose a feral scream, and Jason knows she's cumming as she grows so tight around him he can't move without her squeezing his cock more than ever before. He has to stop as his own orgasm ripped through him, emptying out into the condom as he gasps into her neck. His grip loosening slowly from her wrists but Ashly doesn't even notice, her chest is heaving and Jaosn glances up concerned when she starts taking shuddering breaths. Then finally even out and he sighs in releif, no idea where the breathing device is. Jason slowly pulls from Ashley and rolls to his side as they both calm down, sweat cooling on their skin and sheets sticking to them.

Jason has this youthful smirk on his lips that grows wider when he glances over and sees Ashley is out cold. her breathing evening out and body absolutely wrecked as she lays there limp and tangled in his sheets. He leaned up on his elbow and watched her breath, the sweat cooling on her skin so he pulls the sheets over them and collapses back himself, spent. He hasn't had a good lay in months, but that, that was downright amazing. The smirk never left his mouth as he fell into a much needed sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Jason very rarely gets more than a few hours of sleep in a full day and night. There are days where his mind is too alive, sometimes it's memories that plague him relentlessly in a horrific loop and others it's plain self loathing. But when instead of the grey morning light of Gotham waking him up, it's the golden rays of late morning. His body is achy but feels well rested like it hadn't been in a ling while. The cool bed beside him had brows furrowing, he had to have been dead asleep for Ashley to get up and move through the room without waking him.

Clean sweats in place Jason pads softly into the rest of his apartment, when he glances into the large open space and he doesn't see her, Jason looks back. The bathroom door is half open but the lights not on, the reason he didn't look there first. But as he nears and finds her standing there in the warm sunlight trying to fight it's way through the thick glass, he waits. And cringes a fraction.

Her hips and thighs are peppered with fingerprint bruises, a full hand print on one hip splaying over her skin. It's her neck he's focused on like she is at her own reflection as she tries to look at all the marks on her body. He'd been fairly rough with her at the time, though he'd heard no complaint at the time. Her hair was freshly washed and bundled at the top of her head in a band, locks still dripping water every few moments. Jason was content to watch her for the moment before she noticed him.

Ashley stared at herself in the mirror, her body looked positively debauched and the stupid grin wouldn't leave her lips no matter how many times she told herself to get a grip and start acting like she was an adult. But she couldn't, this entire thing seemed a dream and now with the marks of Jason's teeth and hands on her skin, the deep ache between her legs, she knew it was real still. Her hands lean on the edge of the bathroom counter and she looked closer to her neck before her eyes locked on themselves in the reflection.

"Ashley Dodge... you are one crazy ass girl..." She nods to herself in the mirror, "Jesus fuck... Todd's got teeth.." She mumbles to herself and Jason bites the inside of his cheek to not snort and give away his position int the doorway. Poking and proding at the marks on her neck, making a pursed lip face as she hisses and pulls her hand back.

"Yeah, that might need disinfectant, I got a little carried away." He finally strolls inside, the door pushing open fully and Ashley gasps, grabbing the wet towel from the floor where she had dropped it to cover her frame. Jason reaches out and touches his fingers to the side of her neck, his thumb pressing her chin outwards so he can fully see the damage he'd done. It was deep but not as bad as the dried flecked blood in his teeth gave ideas about. She cleaned it well enough in the shower, it'd be fine.

Ashley just stood there like his grip was tight, but it was so gentle that she didn't want to move away. So he twisted his fingers and held her jaw in his palm, the other tugging the towel away from her hands to toss back to the tiled floor. Flicking his eyes to the mirror that was now behind her, Jason paused and lay a hand on her hip, fingers splayed to hold her in place as he looks at the ink on her backside.

"Oh my god! No! I forgot that was there!" Ashley goes to pull away and he stills her by his hands on her hips, tugging her bare front to press flush against his chest as he backs her toward the mirror so he can look closer.

Ashley groans and hides her face against his bicep, Jason grins as he traces the lines of her tattoo with his fingers. It's cheesy, so fucking cheesy and in a tattoo style that is so overdone and played out. A faded ribbon circles about a long dagger, two pistols facing away from each other and a mock up of his red helmet. The ribbon says on top, 'death didn't do anything' and the second strip said 'except slow me down a little.' And Jason chuckles. Because yes, it's real and its so freaking cheesy. Ashley Dodge has a Red Hood tramp stamp.

"How do you forget this is here?" He grins and she pinches his hip, it doesn't even make him flinch and instead he slaps his palm down on her bare ass. Grinning as she gasps as her hips jerk forward to get away from the sting on her flesh. Pressing her nice and tight against his hips and groin. "I can't believe you have a tattoo of me on your back..." He's chuckling again.

"Oh my god, I just forgot about it! You weren't supposed to see that!" She squirms but he's not letting her go. His chuckles turning into deep rumbling laughter.

"You have a tramp stamp! Of me!" Ashley slaps his bicep, hissing when her hand is the one in pain and stinging from the hit. And it just serves Jason to continue to laugh because really, she hurt herself trying to clap him. How funny is that?

She groans in defeat, pursing her lips as Jason continues to hold her naked body against his barely clothed one and laugh hysterically at her. It was a drunken night out with Spencer a year ago... and she'd woken up hurting like hell with a tattoo the size of a dinner plate on her lower spine. She did in fact, have a tramp stamp of fucking Red Hood just above her ass.

Finally he takes a sobering breath and tugs her back from him, fingers holding her chin as she continues to pout at him. "Aw sweet cheeks chin up, I've seen worse. At least it's not above your hooch." And then he gasps out laughing again as her cheeks turn a deep shade of red and she sputters and turns red.

"Easy killer." He jokes and pulls her chin closer, lowering his voice as his other hand slips down her side to grasp at her hip, fingers splaying over the globe of her ass. "I'll keep it a secret.." His tongue kitten licks at her lips and she opens only after a moment. Kissing her slowly Jason backs her up the rest of the way and lifts her to sit on the edge of the counter, her legs wrapping around his hips.

After a moment of him silently and slowly rutting between her legs, Ashley breaks away and tugs on his wrists to slow down a second. "Again?" And he just smirks because fuck yes again, seeing her flushed, naked and sitting on his counter. Her legs wrapped tight around him and her cunt dripping wet onto the crotch of his sweatpants, fuck yes again.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm going to fucking ruin you..." Her gaze darkens and the smirk on his lips is that of the devil wanting to play. She was too fucking gorgeous to not fuck again, he won't pass up a chance to sink inside of her, to hear her scream his name at the top of her lungs.

Ashley narrows her gaze, grips the back of his neck to pull him closer to her shorter frame and nips along his neck to chew on his earlobe. "Bring it, Todd." And he growls low, picking her up off the counter and carrying her back into his bedroom. Her back barely hits the mattress covered in tangled sheets before he's on her. Kissing down her chest, nipping at her nipple and hands roaming over her sides and hips.

Slowly he makes a path down her navel, fingers gently pushing at her knees and she parts her legs for him. She's slick between her upper thighs, wetness coating her lower lips and he can just see the hood of her clit trying to poke through her folds. A deep inhale and an animal like snarl sounds in his throat, her thighs clench in his grip so he does it again, watching as her lips weep and twitch. Clenching around nothing and wanting something sunk into her depths. He wanted to do this the first time around, but they both passed out, now he's sinking his tongue into her, teeth grazing her entrance as his hands hold her down at her hip and one over her lower belly. Keeping her soundly pinned to the bed as he devours her cunt, her gasp and whimpers sounding in his ears as she writhes under his mouth.

When she's absolutely shivering under his lips and begging for release, he licks his way up her body and catches her panting lips in a searing kiss. Swallowing her moans as he pushes his sweatpants down with one hand, not even bothering to push them all the way off before he sinks into her. Jason groans and sighs while he moves inside her a moment, he'd forget a condom, again. But this time there wasn't one stashed in his wallet, he'd have to be careful. Her nails dug into his biceps sharply and he hissed down at Ashley, finding her teeth bared and her back arched. "Harder, Todd, I'm not made of fuc...fucking glass." So he goes harder, hips snapping into her own while his hands keep her in place, adding fresh little bruises to her already marked skin.

The back of his mind registers the vibrating sound of his phone ringing and he glances over, his pace staying strong as he reaches over and looks at the name on the screen. It's Roy, of course it's Roy. He never calls unless it's important... "Shhhh." He puts a finger to his lips as he keeps his pace like it's not even making him sweat, which it is but you couldn't tell. He wasn't even really winded. But Ashley was a whimpering mess and she had no idea how to be quite while she's being fucked senseless.

"Yeah." He answers, free hand reaching down to play with one of her nipples and Ashley throws her head back, her mouth wide open but she tries so hard to be silent, her breathing heavy as she hides her face in the blankets beside her head.

'Hey JT, everybody's waiting for the meeting.' Well fuck, he'd forgotten about the weekly meeting, too busy getting his cock wet. He smirked as Ashley clasped her hands over her mouth to keep quiet, it was so fucking cute because he knows she won't last long like that with the way his hand is reaching down to rub over her clit. Her walls sucking him in and holding him tight.

"Yeah, I'll be there soon, I'm pretty deep in something. Keep 'em busy for a bit." Roy can hear the smirk in Jason's tone and if he listens closely, yup. Wet sounds of raw sex.

'Man, are you fucking her as we talk? That was fast." Jason just kept smirking when Ashley lets out a high pitched whine, her eyes rolling back as she cums hard on his cock, squeezing him tight and he grunts to keep himself calm and not release inside her.

"I'll be there soon." He ends the call and tosses the phone onto the bed, flipping them over so she feels him deeper inside of her. The aftershocks of her orgasm still rippling through her as she gasps for breath, her hands splayed on his chest to steady herself. "Come on sweetheart, one more for me." His feet plant on the bed and hands on her hips, his own snapping up into her from this angle. All she can do is gasp and take every inch of him with each stroke inside of her. Another orgasm starting to build and tighten in her belly.

"Come on, come on. Just let go." And she does, with a gasping cry she falls forward, body trembling as her pussy clenches tight in wave after wave of pleasure. Jason quickly pulls himself form her depths and unloads between her thighs. Thick ropes of cum sticking to her sweat coated skin as she pants heavily on his chest.

"God damn girl..." He grins and brushes the hair from her face, her eyes closed tight as little aftershocks roll through her still and his cock finally calms as well.

"I can't feel my legs.." Jason chuckles deeply and gently moves her off of him to lay on her side. He's running late and starts to pull on a pair of clean tactical pants and his holsters.

"I gotta go run an empire, nap." She just looks at him through her tangled sleep mussed hair and smiles, skin flushed. He's dressed and reaching for his phone when she leans up on her elbow.

"I didn't mean for all this to happen." He holsters his guns and pockets his phone.

"The fucking or the staying with me part?" She shrugs.

"Either? I still feel like I'm gonna wake up from a coma or something and this is all some fucked up crazy dream I created." Jason leans on his knee on the bed and grabs her chin in his now gloved hand.

"Dream or not, remember this sweetheart, Jason Todd keeps what he likes. And I really like you." He grins as her eyes widen a fraction, kisses her senseless for endless moments before ripping himself away from her and standing. "I'll be back in a few hours, do me a favor and don't get dressed?" He winks as she gasps and throws a pillow at his back.

"Fuck you, Todd!"

"You have, twice!" The sound of his bike engine starting covered over any response she had and he left, weaving through the streets to the chapel, his face refusing to hide the smirk behind his helmet and he felt like he'd just had the best sex of his life. His bike quieted and the moment he walked inside the chapel, the voices quieted. He made his way to the front of the room, sat at the head of the table and was silent for a moment. Roy was at his side with a few trusted others, Kori always staying back unless she was needed. Her appearance still caused whispers of her Teen Titan days, still calling her a goody two shoes.

"What the fuck are you are waiting for, give me the details." And they did, explaining his sellers were doing good, three people wanted to take the offer to get off drugs. Two more overdosed last night, one still alive. And a trio of women wanted to move out of the city, two of them were pregnant. Arranging that was first, transport and funds gifted and names written down for files. The one chance rule was in place and it wouldn't be amended or ignored, one chance.

It was business as usual, and Jason was relaxing into his chair when a few of the underlings didn't get up from the table like many others had to mingle about the church and dish out the smaller jobs. "What?" His voice was harsh and he always kept it that way. They feared him, of what he could become and what he could do. Most of them and the rest respected him. He'd like to keep it that way.

"Whispers Hood... 'bout you talkin' to the League, the Bat..." The room quieted, they'd all put the question on the little guy, one who could be replaced.

Jason stood, calmly walked around the able and gently grabbed the kids neck, before slamming him face first into the heavy wood table. Blood sprayed and the kid squealed in pain, Jason didn't let up his grip. "And what do you think happened? When I was talkin' to the League, huh? Do you fuckers seriously think the League wants anything to do with me besides put me in Arkham? Again?" The kid was shaking his head, pleading through blood soaked teeth.

He looked around the room, most of his men wouldn't even think about it. But others were newer and hadn't seen his bad side yet, still questioned if he would cower in the face of the League. Give up his plot of empire that was a mark on the face of Gotham. Jason released the kid's neck, throwing him into a wall, showcasing some of his actual strength. Roy calmly playing with an arrow, still in his seat. "What happens with the League isn't any of your fucking concern. One more peep about it and I'm ripping your fucking tongue out, got it?" The kid nodded and sank to the floor, holding his shattered nose.

"Back to work you fucks." He and Roy left the chapel, both of them climbing onto bikes ad speeding away from the building until they slowed and parked in a small alley, out of view of everything.

Roy leans on his gas tank and smirks wide at Jason as he ruffles his wild light and dark locks, domino mask in place. "So you did fuck her." Jason only grins and waggles his eyebrow at Roy. "Fuck man! That was fast, was she that easy or what?"

"Nah, she's not easy, she's got a thing for the Hood though." He pictures the tattoo on her back and his smirk widens, he could live with that.

"When you gonna' bring her over then? Since you already dipped your wick." Roy asked gently. For over a year now he, Jason and Kori had been in a sort of threesome relationship. The three of them working out frustrations and anger through heavy sex. Though lately Jason has been keeping to himself, preferring to find single night stand with himself. But Roy is itching to get a crack at that pretty dark haired blonde that Jason brought over.

Jason's gaze darkens, he can just picture Ashley and Kori going at it, but, he's not sure how she'd react. "Easy boy, I ain't even had her over two full days. Just give her some time and I'll ask her about it..." He winks and Roy slaps his shoulder before they part. Jason wasn't going to go straight back to the apartment, he had cash houses to check on and a little last minute shopping to do. Christmas Eve was the next day and he'd promised Alfred he'd come to the manor.

The lower east end wasn't all abandoned factories, shacks and shitty houses. There were actually still a handful of shops that had been open since their conception. Small little thrift stores, a cafe, a few sandwich shops and even a couple restaurants. The people of the community doing their best to keep the stores open. If they lost their shops, the east end would need to migrate to other parts of the city, and no one wanted that. They were nice family owned places, the prices were cheap and their goods were good. You could find the coolest shit if you looked hard enough.

Like for Dick, Jason found a stack of very old circus magazines, vintage and well preserved. Perfect. For Tim, Jason was never sure what to get the kid. But a box of vintage video games and consoles seemed like a good idea. The kid was always tinkering with shit. Maybe he'd make a robot out of it, who the hell knows. Damian... Jason didn't know what to get the brat, so he just got a giant box of treats for the dog that hates him so damn much. And maybe a box of arabic sweets from the cafe down the block. That should appease the demon spawn for Christmas at least. Jason used to , when he was close with Dick, would get novelty shirts about Batman for Bruce. As a joke. With a heavy sigh he grabbed a few trucker style hats that had cheesy batman symbols on them. He was trying to be nice okay. It was effing Christmas.

Jason was casually walking down the street back to his bike. Thinking about Ashley. They'd have to be careful as hell back at the manor, but he knew Dick and Bruce would catch on pretty quick if she was any more comfortable with him then she had been before they left. He wasn't a touchy feel person, rarely giving affection even when he was living with Dick and Bruce years ago. With Ashley he'd pretty much thrown that out the window. A hand at her back, a ruffle of her hair, holding her hand as they walked through the manor. Even carrying her as much as he had was out of character for him. He liked her, he liked touching her. Jason grinned, he really liked touching her. Especially grabbing that delicate chin of hers to kiss her breathless.

A shine caught his eyes and Jason turned to glance at a small pawn shop window. A glittering necklace caught his eye and his pursed his lips. It wouldn't be too much, would it? Fuck it, he bought it and had it wrapped. He'd keep it at his place so she wouldn't have to open it around the family. Girl had nothing anyways, and he was pretty much rolling in money. Not as much as Bruce by far, but enough.

On his way back to the apartment Jason thought over what she'd asked of him. She wanted to learn to survive, but did she want to kill? Or did she want to know how in case her very life depended on it? He could teach her plenty, but there were so many lines that could be crossed, which ones did she want left alone and which ones did she want destroyed. Did she want to get immersed into the crime life or rule it? Maybe leave it utterly alone. There was so much to talk about with her and he'd been a bit too distracted since then to actually ask about it all. Happily distracted but still, he'd need to talk to her. Ashley didn't seem the type to shed blood for no reason, but could she if the situation had no other choice? Would he let it go so far as to see if she actually would? To see if she was a natural killer? If she would flinch in the face of death, or laugh in it's face?

There was one thing she should know, but he had a feeling she may already. The Joker. He wasn't in Arkham. But Jason was waiting for news of him being back out on the streets and raising hell on the streets. And when that day came, Jason was going to kill the fucker. Just because of the colors he wore and who he fought beside. Being linked to the Batman was worse than a death sentence when it come to the Robins. Jason had been Batman's crowning dissapointment, and was no better when he'd come back from death only for Batman to completely reject him for months. No, Jason would kill Joker, and Ashley needed to know he'd probably die just to get it done.


	20. Chapter 20

When Jason came up the lift to his apartment he expected Ashley to be asleep, and asleep she was. Still in bed but showered and clean once again, the covers tangled around her in a burrito and her hair a dark blonde mass on the pillows as she breaths softly. Jason left her alone for now, instead needing to clean his guns and go over some maps. He had to do a totally new route every three weeks for each delivery to keep it ever changing. Plus he had to keep an eye on the people trying to kill him for his territory, and the other baddies that liked to cause havoc all over Gotham. He had to make sure his streets were protected and secure.

Jason groaned when his phone started to ring, he knew that seven digit number. It was the League. Fuck, Ashley was naked in his bed and they'd want to talk to her. Double fuck. Swiping over the screen Jason looked at it as it fizzled and then cleared into a secure line.

"Yeah." Superman didn't look pleased with his very informal greeting but honestly Jason didn't give a rat's ass. The alien has a stick up his ass and wouldn't change for shit.

"You're reports are to start today and then every seven days after today." Jason just waited for a moment for any more 'instructions'

"She's fine, sleeping right now and I'm not waking her up either." Superman sighed.

"Jason, we need to assure she's alright and unharmed in these reports." Jason sighed, shrugged.

"Fine, gimme a minute and go wake her up." He sat the phone down so the screen stared at the ceiling and he grinned when Superman grumbled softly. No way was that guy seeing her naked.

Jason trotted into the bedroom and gently shook her shoulder, "Hey, Ashley wake up." She groaned and pulled a pillow over her head.

"Jason please, give a girl some rest." He grinned at that but kept shaking her.

"You gotta wake up, League needs to make sure you're alive." Ashley groaned and threw back the covers, Jason helping her get untangled from the blankets. He handed her a random sweater from his clean laundry and her jeans from the night before. It wasn't much but she'd at least be covered. "Wait." Jason reached forward and pulled her hair to the side, covering the bite mark.

"Jason?" He reached forward and grabbed the phone, turning it back so Superman could in fact see a sleepy Ashley standing beside Jason. "Miss Dodge, how are you faring?"

Ashley leans her elbows on the counter and looks at the screen of the phone for a second as she wipes sleep from her eyes. "I'm good, Jason hasn't made me a hooker and I haven't had my life threatened." She gives a thumbs up and Superman just seems to scowl, maybe hoping Jason had in fact harmed her in some way.

He goes to say something but is pushed over so Diana takes up the screen and Ashley perks up, she likes the amazon. "Hello child, how are you?"

"I'm good miss Prince." Diana smiles and nods.

"That's good, this is just a formality for awhile, I'm sorry to have woken you young one." The call is cut short when Superman goes to take over the call again and Ashley laughs softly, Still trying to wake up as she leans on the counter.

"Fucker..." Ashley grumbles and places her forehead on the cool counter top, looking up when she feels the map beneath it.

"Sorry to wake you up, but he wasn't going to leave me alone until he saw you were alive." Jason rolled his eyes and gently tossed his phone onto the counter top, tugging Ashley into his side when she started wavering on her feet in her groggy state.

"S'okay." Ashley looked over the maps and scrunched her eyes. "Are you... planning routes for something?"

Jason nodded and evened out the map again with his other hand. "Yeah, delivery routes, gotta change them up, make it less predictable." Ashley just made a face and stood, stretching her arms above her head and made a tiny noise in the back of her throat as her back popped.

Jason groaned loudly, the sweater was two sizes too big easily but her breasts were standing proud beneath the grey fabric, nipples standing out and now he realized why Diana had taken the call, she'd noticed. Jason grinned and sneaked a finger into the front seam of her jeans to pull her against his hips. "You're fucking gorgeous, you know that?" She hums and brushes a lock of mixed white and blonde hair from her face.

"Jason Todd, are you trying to woo me?" She reaches up and he can see the timidness is back in the flicker of her eyes. Coming back when she felt vulnerable or didn't know how to act in the moment. Maybe she wasn't used to attention.

"Why do I need to do that? I got you right where I want you." And he does, turning to press her hips against the counter top, press gently against her as his arms slip around her middle underneath the sweater.

"And where is that?" Her voice is lower, whisper like and there's another blush to her cheeks. Like he hadn't already slept with her that morning and late last night. Like he hadn't got that far already and he smirks, he likes the flush to her skin. This was going to be hell trying to behave around his family. The way she looked, messy and sleepy just begged her to be kissed senseless.

"Right here.." He leans forward and nips at her jaw, grinning when she bares her neck and he moves down to her collarbone, back up the other side and licking over the mark he'd left. Tugging on her ear, by the time he makes it back to her lips shes breathing deeper and her hands are gripping on the belt in his jeans. She tastes like cinnamon toothpaste and blue gatorade, warm and inviting to his touch.

But when his hips pressed harder into her she winced and sucked in a breath. Jason pulled back and narrowed his gaze as he felt her thighs clench together. But it wasn't pleasure. "You okay?"

She nods and takes a soft breath to steady herself. "I'm kinda sore.." She blushes a deep rose pink and Jason's brow furrows.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Fuck, was I too rough?" He gently holds her arms and starts to lift her sweater, sees the fresh bruises marring the others and he sighs. "Fuck..." He doesn't feel guilt very often, but he hates hurting women when they don't deserve it. And he had to admit, he'd been pretty hard on her already without really meaning to, he could get downright brutal in the bedroom if left unchecked. Kori and Roy could take it, Ashley couldn't.

"Hey it's okay, I'm fine, just sore." Jason wasn't having it, nope. Ashley was soon cradled in his arms like a rag doll and she grasped onto his shoulders while Jason made his way into the bathroom to set her down on the closed toilet. "Jason, I'm fine."

"Stay." He ordered and he bent over to plug the tub and start a hot bath. Rummaging around under the sink for some bath salts, he poured in some and then shrugged and poured the whole little box into the water. Letting it fizzle and pop as lavender and vanilla filled the room. Ashley raised an eyebrow. "I'd rather take a salt bath than an ice bath." Is all he said while he crouched back down and started to undress her once again.

"Jason, I'm fine." She says as he pulls the sweater from her torso and gently stands her up to unbutton her rumpled jeans. Her hands touched his when he started to pull them down to make him pause.

"Let me feel less like a piece of shit for bruising you up, okay?" And she could see in his eyes he hated that he'd hurt her. The bruises were one thing, a pleasure filled response that neither of them could really stop. But hurting her there, that was tearing him up.

"Okay." She stepped from the jeans, having had no underwear on underneath she stood naked in front of him and Jason glanced over her hips and thighs. Fingers tracing over her back and shoulders, checking for anything else he had missed.

"Take a soak, I'll order in." He went to leave but turned for a second at the door. "Chinese, pizza or wings?"

"Chinese sounds great." Ashley was sinking into the frothing salt bath and Jason smiled as she groaned to lean her head back onto the lip of the tub. Her shoulders relaxing instantly, she must have been sore.

Jason tapped the door way and left her alone while he silently berated himself for the next forty minutes. A mantra in his head to chill out and not be so hard on her. He had enhanced strength and speed, and hadn't thought about her smaller weaker frame under him like that. His hands reached up and gripped at his hair but he refrained from screaming out in frustration, not wanting Ashley to worry about his sanity like she should. He'd like to keep her from fearing him for as long as he could, he knew his mind was a scary fucking place.

His phone ringing caught him up and he didn't even glance at the name when he answered, too riled up. "What?"

'Jeeze, what I'd do now Jaybird?' It was Dick, Jason relaxed and scrubbed a hand over his face as he sighed. It as Dick.

"Sorry man..."Dick chuckled on the other side of the line and Jason relaxed further. Dick was the one brother Jason no longer worried about downing him on his lifestyle, at least a lot less then the others did.

'Alfred told me you were coming up this year for Christmas, that true?' Jason nods but knows Dick cant see him.

"yeah, I'm gonna try to at least." Dick was silent for a moment.

"Look Jay, I know it's difficult and all but, it means the world to Tim and Bruce, Alfred. It means the world to me. I miss my brother." And Jason closed his eyes, hurt filling his chest at the words. His and Richard's relationship was never the best, but Dick was the first one to ever treat him like a brother and not the family fuck up. They were close. Red Hood had even helped out a few times with Nightwing.

'Bruce told me abut the girl you got with you. Is it all true?' Jason sank heavily into the easy chair in front of his tv and sighed through his nose.

"Yeah, all of it." He heard Dick whistle trough the phone.

'Jeeze, how are you dealing with that?' Jason quirked an eyebrow, wondering if Dick already figured it out or would after tomorrow.

"It's not so bad. She's not much trouble and she's not hard to look at."

'Jay, you haven't slept with her, have you?' Silence on Jason's end. 'Jay come on, Bruce is gonna be so pissed when he finds out!'

"Like how pissed he was when he found you and Barbara naked and in the Bat Copter after prom?" Silence on Dick's end and Jason grinned.

'Fuck you, Todd.' Dick grumbled and Jason just smirked wider.

"Aw, come on Dickiebird, that was hilarious."

'Yeah, well let's see how you fair when it's you on the other end of that "I expected better than you" look.'

Jason was quiet for a moment, his jovial mood soured. "I get that look every time I see him. Won't be any different."

'Jason..' Dick goes to apologize but Jason stops him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." And Jason hung up. He knew there was more Dick wanted to talk about, but he just didn't want to anymore.

His relationships with his brothers were touchy and sometimes they weren't. Sometimes he loved them all and other times, mostly with Damian, he wanted to shoot them. Things could be going great and they tried to tip toe around a subject or let something slip, and his mood would go so far downhill he'd start yelling at them when he didn't exactly mean to be projecting at them. Most of the time it has to do with Bruce, the rest is them trying to get him on the League's side. It was stressful.

Jason sighed and threw his arm over his face, blacking out his vision as he sits in silence to calm himself. Tomorrow would definitely be stressful, he knew that. He wasn't making it any easier with his now physical relationship with Ashley. Bruce would so not approve but Jason didn't exactly care, there had always been a streak in him to not follow Bruce's orders, he couldn't help that. It's not like he wasn't keeping his word so far, she was safe and no one knew about her not being from here. Except Roy, Roy knew everything and that was a safety precaution for the both of them and Kori.

"Jason?" Ashley was calling form the bath and he made his way there, leaning his shoulder on the door frame as she sat in the warm water. Her hair damp from the steam and face relaxed. "I need a towel." He grabs one from the rack by the door, going over to offer her a hand up and out of the water.

"Jesus your killin' me, doll." She stands and water runs over her skin, accentuating her curves and thighs. The line of her spine and slopes of her shoulders covered in tendrils of damp hair. Her flesh was tinged pink from the hot water but the bruises looked a hundred times better and healing from the scented salts, good. Ashley stepped from the tub and he wrapped the towel loose around her waist, she let him too.

Jason didn't even let her walk, he just scooped her up against his chest and took her back to the bedroom, sat her down on the bed and then brought her the duffle she'd dropped in the main room last night. "Get comfy, I'll order chinese. Any preference?"

"Hmmn im partial to general sous chicken and fried rice." She was pulling clothes from the duffle and reaching up to pin back her damp hair. Jason turned to leave but her voice stopped him. "Jason?" He turns. "Thanks." He only quirks up a lip and leaves the room to order dinner. Ashley smiled to herself for a moment, a goofy expression on her face before she shook off any and all negative thoughts trying to take over her mind.

Once dressed in her sweats and tank top, Ashley bit her lip and tugged back on the grey sweater Jason had given her earlier, it was sooooooooo warm. If he didn't like it he would ask her to take it off, she figured. There was still an ache between her legs and her inner thighs were twinging with every step, but Ashley really couldn't complain. She hadn't had a good lay in years and Jason was just, the best. Jason was back at the counter where he had maps and papers strewn about, giving Ashley a moment to glance back around the apartment.

It was neat, but in the way that there was very little there. The couch, chair and tv stand, kitchen table and chairs, ammo stores at the other wall and his bikes. But there was so much open space, the floor had to be over a thousand square feet with support beams scattered throughout. Everything open and the only closed off rooms were the bedroom and bathroom.

"Your nose scrunches up when you're thinking too hard." Jason voiced from his spot at the counter, he looked like he hadn't even glanced up at her. He looks up from his work and doesn't blink, face straight. "It's fucking adorable." Then he goes back to work.

Ashley laughs, clutching onto her side because of Jason. Just the way he had said it, the tone he'd used and his face. It's something she would have expected her best friend to do and it comforted her to know Jason in this world had a sense of humor even if it was darker at times. She makes her way back over to the kitchen and sits down at the small table, turning to set her foot on the seat of the chair and set her chin on her knee. Watching him work over the maps and papers, the serious expression on his face. How his hair was still sex mussed and tousled from his bike ride earlier. His eyes, the blue green of them mesmerized her to a point of going still and simply staring at him. The line of his jaw, the slope of his nose. The littered scars over his skin that showed up more in flouresant light like the one shining in the kitchen.

"I'd be really fucking creeped out if you weren't sitting there in my shirt." His voice echoed until it become clearer in her mind and she shook her head and looked up. Startled because those eyes were inches from hers as he leaned over her form in the dining chair. Ashley just kept tracing the lines of his face with her eyes and he lets her, a little grin on his lips when he realizes what she's doing. His hand reaches out and palms her chin, tipping her face back so he can lean in and kiss over her lips several times. Pulling back he hums and stands to his full height. "You're dangerous, sweetheart."

Ashley's face scrunches up and she tilts her head. Jason's looking at her without glancing away. His hip against the marbled counter top and arms crossed over his barrel chest, the white in his hair falling to lay over the bridge of his nose while the rest is held behind his ears. "Why am I dangerous?" Jason doesn't answer her, only hums softly and then stands when the buzzer sounds for the chinese delivery.

Jason divies out boxes and containers and cracks them both open a beer from the fridge, sitting on the couch as they eat. She doesn't ask again and Jason couldn't answer if he wanted to.

Because you just might ruin me...


	21. Chapter 21

"Are you sure this is fine?" Jason groaned at the question, not like he hadn't heard it fifty fucking times in the last twenty minutes. His head thunked onto the wall in front of him and he hits his forehead a few times before blinking and standing up straight again.

"Ashley, you ask me that one more fuck-in' time and I'm gonna show you how fucking good you look..." He grumbles, smirk appearing on his lips as he looks over at her. Her back turned to him as she stands in front of his full length mirror on the door to his bedroom.

Her hair was neatly straightened and hung down her back and shoulders, ends reaching towards the curves of her lower spine. A deep green sweater dress clung to her from the shoulders down to her upper thighs, grey leggings tight on her flesh and her feet in three inch heels in metallic black. She looked good, every piece of cloth clung to her and he knew, knew, Dickiebird was going to give her at least one once over during the night.

"I can't help being nervous Jason, Bruce intimidates the shit out of me and Damian scares me senseless." She sighs and shakes her head, tugging up and off the sweater , kicking the heels off and going back to her pile of clothes laying on the bed. Jason idly thinks about letting her go clothes shopping one day with Kori. "Besides, all of your brothers are going to be there, I'd rather not look like a tramp." She grumbles, hands shifting through her clothes.

Jason rolled his eyes and moved to her back, his hands sliding down her sides to grip her hips and pull her back against his chest. "Breath." She hadn't even noticed she'd started to wheeze in her anxious state. Hell she'd had sex with Jason and that hadn't gotten her breathing this worked up. Jason grabs something in a dark red color and hands it to her. "Put this on, the green flats, you'll be golden." Pecking her cheek he pulls away and reajusts his pants. "The car will be here soon."

Ashley tugged on the red garment, realizing it was another sweater dress but one with a wide scarf like collar that covered her healing neck, smart, and clung to her frame till it just above her knees. She looked at her reflection and sighed, nodded with how she looked and pulled on the deep green flats. She didn't have any jewelry on her and that was okay for most days, but this was a Christmas even get together. Oh well.

Making her way back to the main room Jason had a dark bundle in his fist and was waiting in the middle of the room. "Com'ere." Furrowing a brow she did and Jason motioned for her to open her arms a bit. He was sliding thick black cloth over her arms, warmth enveloped her hands as the inside material slid over her skin. Jason stood back and fiddled with the zipper and then the buttons that clasped the coat over her. "Perfect fit."

"Jason, this is awesome!" She felt the outside material, a crushed leather feel hit her senses and she could feel how warm it was already. Jason lifted the hood and looked at her for moment. Ashley felt engulfed in warmth in it, and it covered clear down to her thighs for extra heat coverage.

"We'll return Tim's, this is yours." He pulls the hood back off and goes to the lift, tugging on his brown leather jacket that never seemed to leave his person. The downstairs door buzzed and Jason grabbed the handles of several brown paper shopping bags as they got in the lift. Presents, though if his track record with his brother's was anything to go by they may not even get that far.

The lift took them down, Ashley still entranced by the coat and Jason smirked. Thank the gods for next day delivery. He didn't want to see Tim's coat on her, no matter how good it had looked on her frame. The brown leather was a nice color on her, but he liked the black. The darkness of it made her have a little more color to her cheeks. Her tan was receding though in the bitter cold winter of Gotham, he should probably ask her of she used tanning salons to get that bronze.

A sleek town car was waiting by the curb, exhaust steaming from the pipe as it ran and waited for them. The drivers popped out, took the bags from Jason and opened the back door for them to get inside. Ashley tripping slightly on the icy path, Jason catching her elbow and helping her into the car and then getting in himself. It was weird, not having Alfred driving, but the butler was most likely caught up in dinner prep.

Ashley chewed on her bottom lip, tapped her nails on the seat beside her. "Why are you so nervous? It's just Bruce and my brothers. It's not like I'm taking you home for the first time or anything."

"And Diana prince and Barbara Gordon and oh god... I just... I really don't want to make a fool of myself. I don't want to mess this up." Jason took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze but he didn't let go.

"We both know you're not one to make a fool of yourself, so why are you really nervous." Ashley sighed, glanced toward the window but Jason reached out and grabbed her jaw, making sure she looked back at him and he wasn't letting up his grip. "Ashley."

"I don't want to give them a single reason to go back on the deal. What if I let something slip? What if I say something I didn't mention while the League questioned me?" Jason shushed her, more for the fact that he wanted to make sure the driver couldn't hear them.

"Listen, okay. I'm not gonna let that happen, there's nothing they can do right now. If they go back on their deal without any solid proof, it'll look bad on them and they'd lose face. Don't worry, okay?" She finally nods and Jason pecks his lips, careful of her lip gloss. "Chill out Dodge, you look gorgeous and you're sweet. They'll all like you." Jason grins at her eye roll but doesn't let go of his hand the rest of the car ride through Gotham.

When they pull up to the manor Jason can tell Barbara and Dick are here, Diana's car isn't yet in the drive. Taking a deep breath Jason waits for the car to be opened by the driver so he can get out and then help Ashley up the salted steps. The driver takes the bags and hands them to another servant and Ashley wonders where all these people come from. When she was here she never saw anyone other then Alfred. The steps are cleared and easy to walk up, and Alfred opens the front door with a happy smile on his face.

"Master Jason! And Miss Ashley, so good to see you my dear. How are you? Is Jason treating you well? Would you like some tea? Coffee?" Alfred speaking all through helping Ashley out of her new coat to hang on one of the racks inside the door.

Ashley laughs softly and smiles. "Yes, Alfred I'm great. Jason's been a wonderful host, and I would love some of that mint tea you made me?" Alfred nods and guides them to the library where the large tree is sat.

"Make yourself at home. Would you like anything Master Jason?"

"No thanks Al, I'm good for now. Maybe a whiskey later though?" Alfred rolled his eyes good naturedly and then vanishes down another hallway. Jason gently touched her lower back and led her into the large room.

Her steps paused but he kept the pressure and she kept going, letting him guide her as they made their way further in. Damian was slumped into a corner of one of the couches, looking bored and wishing the day were over. Tim smiled and waved to them as they came in, which prompted Dick, Barbara and a dark haired woman to glance up from their small talk on another couch.

Ashley balked and if it weren't for Jason's hand on her back she might have fainted. Blue almost violet eyes looked back at her, jet black hair flowing down her shoulders in a sheen so dark it looked purple. "Raven.." Ashley hadn't even realized she'd whispered it out until the woman's eyes narrowed and she glanced at Dick and then Jason to Ashley's side. A blush lighted under her skin and she wrapped her arms around her middle embarrassed. Raven was one of those characters she always understood. She understood the power, the pain everything. So seeing her in the flesh was... shocking.

Richard saved her from further embarrassment, rising and coming over to them. "You must be Ashley, it's nice to meet you. I'm Richard, but please call me Dick." She took his hand and shook it, couldn't quite find her voice from the entrancing shine in his eyes. Raven came up to them and shook Ashley's hand as well.

"Rachel." Ashley nodded, she heard the silent question. Please, no code names here. Raven gave her a kind smile and a raised eyebrow and Ashley knew she'd be cornered by her at some point tonight. Yay.

Barbara came next, the soft clinking of her leg braces on the floor. But she stood tall and welcomed Ashley instead with a tight hug. "I don't care what your name is, Jason hasn't come to Christmas in ages. We're in your debt!"

"I..I didn't really.." Ashley blushed and stammered out to try and reply. It wasn't her doing, she hadn't even asked Jason he'd just said they were going. She'd just assumed he always came to holidays. Her gaze flicked to Jason and he was very blatantly glaring at them all for giving that away for some reason.

Barbara gave in and led Ashley away from Jason and to the couch she had been on, sitting her down beside Rachel, Dick on the chair to the side of them. For the next half hour they chatted about mundane things, a little about their work. Mostly about Dick's promotion from officer to detective in Bludhaven police department. Rachel made a comment about getting a new book ready for the spring and that caused Ashley to come more out of her shell, asking about Rachel's small trilogy of fantasy novels.

Richard moved to the couch Jason had flopped down on and stretched his elbows on the back of it. The both of them watching Ashley become more animated and smiling more as the nerves faded from her the more she talked. "She's pretty." Jason smacked the back of his head and he grunted, smirking.

"She's fucking gorgeous, Dick and you know it." Jason grumbled but moved his arms again to shift so he could see his older brother more beside him. "How are you and Ray?"

"Great, really great." Dick has this lost goofy grin on his face and Jason's eyes narrow.

"Are you gonna ask her yet? It's been what, three-four years now?" Dick whipped his head around and glared at Jason who only winked and smirked. Knowing it would get him riled up, anything got Dick riled up actually, it made it more fun to tease him.

"I was, but.." His face fell and Jason tensed.

"Aw man don't tell me she said no?" Jason sat up more, worry encroaching his face as he looked at his brother.

Dick smiled and held up his left hand instead. "Actually, she asked me." Jason blinked and then laughed, he laughed so hard his side started to hurt and everyone was now looking at him strangely, Dick more so than anyone.

"Congrats birdies!" He somehow cried out as he tried to calm down. The fact that Raven asked Dick to marry him was hilarious. Because Raven was a woman's woman and she did things normal men were too scared shitless to do. Raven caught his eye from across the room and smirked in that small way she does. Ashley was sort of left out of the loop until Barbara asked Rachel too see the ring and she figured it out.

Bruce strolled in just then, Diana politely holding his arm as he escorted them to the library. Damian sighed and moved to a couch closer to Tim and the youngest brothers talked softly about adults being weird. "Ashley, dear child how are you!?" Diana rushed over to the blonde, the amazon's strength easily picking her up and hugging her close. Shocking the girl for a long moment before she hugged Diana back.

"I'm great Miss Prince." Ashley never forgot her manners when around others and Jason thought it was adorable, he knew full well every single person in this room could out cuss a sailor at any given moment. But Bruce liked manners.

"Please, it's Diana." Ashley nodded as the amazon put her back down on her feet and brushed back her hair. She grabbed Ashley's hand and pulled her to a free couch, sitting down beside her. "Now, how are things? Is Jason treating you well?" She touched Ashley's cheek. "You look thin, are you eating enough?"

"Diana please, give her a moment to answer." Bruce chuckled softly, Ashley's eyes widened at the sound and sight and she glanced to Jason, he only shrugged himself.

"I've only been staying with him a few days Diana, he's treating me just fine. I haven't been put on a street corner or offered any drugs so I guess that's a plus?" She said jokingly and Dick belted out a cawing laugh at that.

"Jason wouldn't do that to a girl as pretty as you." Dick smiled when Rachel gave his head a small smack. "What? He wouldn't!" Dick would know, out of all the brothers, Dick and Jason were the closest and knew the most about each other. Jason wouldn't force a woman into a life like that unless she wanted it and Ashley was too pretty. The really pretty ones were usually the first to get marked up, scarred and beaten. He wouldn't let that happen.

Bruce didn't care for the turn the conversation had gone, instead raising an eyebrow as Tim and Damian had somehow started to wrestle and were now toppling over the back of the couch they had been on. The thumping bringing everyone's attention and Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "Boys, please. You'll break something." They did finally stop but only with promises to continue alter in the training room, where they couldn't break anything.

Rachel and Diana had small words together before they joined Barbara on the couch and left Ashley to herself for a moment. She just watched, observed. Bruce watched his sons with adoration and love, a little bit of apprehension when they started to raise their voices or throw playful wings. Diana, Rachel and Barbara all chatted animatedly about something, she never would have guessed the three would be friends. However her relationship with Richard, that was expected. Starfire, or Kori, and Dick never made a good match. Redhead's always stick with red heads. Her gaze turned to Jason, he was still sat on a chair, Dick's elbows on the back of it as the eldest Wayne leant onto it to whisper back and forth to Jason. The both of them kept glancing at her and then toward the other women, particularly Rachel. She raised an eyebrow at Jason when she caught his eye but he only winked and quirked the corner of his lips.

Alfred came to the doorway. "Dinner is served." Everyone slowly congregated toward the dinning room. Jason offering his arm to Ashley, Jason smirking when Tim did the same to Barbara and the red head kissed the younger teens cheek. Jason pulled out her chair and dick muttered, loudly, about how well trained he could act at times. Which got a dinner roll thrown at him from Jason and Bruce just sighed while Diana laughed at their antics. Ashley liked Diana.

Damian sat across from her and Ashley could feel the nerves flow into her again, the youngest Wayne scared her. There was no denying that. But she had to remind herself the people in her comics weren't exactly like the ones around her right now. There were differences that were small and large. She had to stop assuming things. Except when Damian cuts into his Christmas ham and glares at her while holding a semi sharp knife, she gets a little queasy.

"So Ashley, do you have any Christmas traditions?" She looked up to Tim and swallowed her mouthful of red wine. Thinking for a moment.

"My best friend and I never had much money after classes, so we always pool together with our roommates. We'd get the saddest looking tree the night before Christmas, decorate it with battery powered lights and we'd take it somewhere like a nursing home, youth shelter or an animal shelter, and put it on the steps with clothes we didn't need or we'd bake a lot of sweets and wrap them up." All eyes were on her and she blushed.

"I'm not a saint or anything, it's just there are people who are forgotten out there, and no one calls them up or sends them anything. We're young, we've got our whole lives to get what we want out of life, a couple days baking my ass off and cleaning out my closet won't kill me." She sips at her wine to clear her throat, everyone was still very quiet for a moment.

"Well damn, she's too nice for you Jason. How have you not strangled her yet?" Dick spoke and everyone started to laugh, Jason rolling his eyes while Ashley tried to hide behind her hand, blushing red.

"That's very kind of you to do something like that." Tim responded and smiled at her from across and down the table. "Bruce, why don't we do anything like that?"

"Because Tim, the last time you boys wanted to do something akin to charity I had to bust three of you out of jail for stealing a box truck, going to every animal shelter and stealing all the puppies and then spray painting all over the pet shops to stop supporting puppy mills. And one of you tried to keep all fifty-eight dogs." He glared a little at Damian who just shrugged.

"We closed down ten puppy mills and now it's a city law to spay or neutur an animal."

"You were almost thrown into juvenile hall, Jason and Dick got into a fist fight with a felon while in holding and Tim was drunk. How did Tim even get drunk while you lot were stealing puppies?" Bruce asked and finally Ashley bust into giggles, her hands over her mouth as she gasped for breath, cheeks pink.

Richard and Jason were smirking to each other like it was some sort of accomplishment to themselves, Tim was widening his eyes and saying, oh yeah. And Damian just scoffed, a tiny smirk on his lips because it had ended with what they wanted, the Wayne's publicaly hating animal cruelty and now it was a very guarded set of laws in the city. Mission accomplished. "Oh my god, I can't breath!" Ashley is still laughing to herself and even Bruce chuckles for a moment at the memory he fondly thinks of now. At the time, not so much.

"You guys didn't seriously steal puppies did you?" She's catching her breath, sipping wine to calm herself down.

"We found all but Damian the next morning, in a stolen truck on the back of the property, asleep with all the dogs." Barbara whispered to her from the side and Ashley started laughing heavily again, coughing on her drink of wine.

'"This is gold. Oh my god..." She's calming, humming gently and the smirk won't get off her lips. "I guess that's one way to get something done, I never had the balls to actually you know, steal puppies or anything."

"Oh if you want to hear about big balls, you should know about the time Dick was on the tennis team at the academy and this guy.." A dinner roll was tossed at Barbara and landed on her shoulder to fall into her lap. "What!? It's hilarious!"

"Bab's please! Not that one!" Dick groans and reel his arm back to throw another roll. Ashley sees from the corner of her eyes that Jason has slowly been hording them in his lap all night and grabs one in his hand to throw at Dick. Ashley presses herself back into her seat because Tim now tosses one at Barbara and then hell breaks loose.

Ashley scoots down in her chair to hide under the edge of the table, watching over the egde as rolls are now pelted in every direction. She sees even Diana joining in on the fun for a moment when one hits Bruce's shoulder, Ashley barks out a laugh at his face of annoyance. Alfred is the one to stop the food fight as he comes into the dining room followed by three servants with silver serving tables on wheels filled with deserts.

A hand lands on her shoulder and Ashley peeks from the table to see everyone laughing softly and rushing off the crumbs. Luckily it was only the rolls that seemed to be thrown and Ashley wonders, if that's why there were so many baskets of them on the table. To make them all from throwing actual food that could stain or get messy. This had to be a regular occurance.

"Desert anyone?"


	22. Chapter 22

When deserts were consumed and full bellies rounded, Bruce instructed them all back into the library for presents. Ashley wasn't sure what to do or where to go, but Jason did what he made a habit of doing and touched the base of her spine. Silently leading her where she needed to be and giving her courage when all she wanted to do was hide from these people. She felt out of place, insignificant to a point of embarrassment at the slightest thing she did where more than one of them were watching her.

Rachel took her elbow, instead of letting her sit by Jason like the male had been intending, Rachel sat on a small love seat with Ashley next to her. Ashley's eye wide as she looked at Jason for guidance but he just shrugged and instead sat by Richard and Tim, throwing his arms over the back of the couch behind his brothers. Not seeming to mind or be bothered by the actions of the dark haired woman by Ashley. A trust in his gaze.

Ashley turned some toward Rachel as they both took the full cups of cocoa Alfred was passing about, Ashley scenting mint in both of their mugs as the heat seeped into her hands. "Dick explained to me how you got here, I'm sorry you had to be put through something like that." Ashley went to say a few different things, but honestly. She was on the fence about how she felt about the entire thing.

"I miss my friends.. so much." Spencer's dimpled face and bright eyes came to her mind, his flopping auburn hair and wide grin, dirty black rimmed glasses and the scent of axe body spray. He was her rock, her closest friend since she fled her home. "I don't think... I've come to terms that I'm really here yet. I feel like I'm in a really, really, awesome dream." She sips her hot cocoa, and watches as a quirk starts on Rachel's lips.

"The monks that raised me always said fate was strange and complex. Simple yet endless outcomes can come from one action, but that action was planned before hand millenia before." Ashley tilted her head and was caught in Rachel's deep gaze for a moment. Rachel said nothing more and had this look of all knowing in her features. Ashley couldn't even try to say anything because Bruce spoke up, prompting everyone to stop their soft coversations to look at the patriarch.

"I am so thankful my sons are all here for Christmas Eve." He glances at Jason who in turn shrugs and flicks his hair from his face. A look of indifference but Richard knows there's a smile forming on his lips. Even if the second eldest wouldn't admit it. "Diana, as always it's a pleasure to have you spend the holidays with us, and Rachel welcome to the family." Rachel nodded with a smile as Bruce thanked them on her engagement to Richard once more. "And Ashley, I know it's a bit difficult for you at the moment, but please, make yourself at home. Tim, it's your turn this year to pass out." Bruce took a seat on a couch beside Diana, a cushion of empty space between them while Alfred served them both a tumbler of scotch.

Ashley looked at the drink with envy and Rachel elbowed her good-naturedly. She leaned closer to whisper softly to Ashley, "We're lucky to get wine with dinner, he still thinks of some of us as little kids and can't stand to see us drinking anything alcoholic." Ashley snickered back with a soft laugh, it made sense. Though she could really use something harder then the glass of wine she'd had with dinner.

Tim excitedly jumped up, dislodging Damian from having sprawled half across his brother on the couch and grumbled but sat up while Tim went to the tree. Prowling about the tree and its mountain of colorfully wrapped boxes and bags before picking one and starting to pass one by one out to everyone. Making sure every person had one before choosing one for himself and sitting down. Ashley surprised to find a small green wrapped box in her hand, the tag reading, she rolled her eyes. From the handsomest brother, she looked over to Jason with a raised eyebrow and he grinned over at her.

Opening the wrapping, the tissue and then the actual box, Ashley stopped when she felt the velvet of the box inside the tissue paper, eyes wide and she looked back up at Jason, his gaze unwavering at her, urging her to go on. Shaking her head she flicked open the box and stilled. A thin silver necklace was neatly curled around a silver bird, a hawk with its wings spread wide and a red ruby as its breast. Lifting it, the pendant fit snug in the palm of her hand and was encrusted with tiny diamonds.

"Oh my, it's lovely." Rachel murmured from Ashley's side and it broke Ashley from the trance she had from the way the Christmas lights reflected off the diamonds, real diamonds, in her hand. Bruce caught her eye and he didn't look exactly pleased by her present, but Ashley just looked back to Jason to catch him smirking at himself at her reaction. She mouthed a thank you to him.

"Here let me," Rachel reached out and gently took the necklace from Ashley's hand to lift it up and over the blonde's neck to clasp behind her hair. Helping Ashley pull her hair from the chain as the pendant sunk to just above her clavicle. "Hmmmm, I like it." Rachel gave Ashley a small smile and she returned it, her fingertips coming up to touch the bird as it warmed against her skin. "It's a hawk," Rachel goes to say as she admires it resting against Ashley. "They're a formidable bird of prey. Fitting."

Their attention is pulled toward Dick as he gasped while opening a solid looking box. The tissue paper pulled away and he started pulling out vintage circus magazines. His hands stilling as he pulled the last one out. 'The Flying Grayson's' In bold colorful print across the front page. His gaze turns to Jason whose looking down at his knees with a smirk on his lips, ignoring the tears welling in Dick's eyes. But then he's enveloped in a Dick Grayson type of hug, the kind where the brother won't let go until the recipient is hugging them back just as tightly as he is. Jason is finally released, Dick has a huge grin on his face. "Thanks Jay." His voice is hoarse and soft but Jason reaches up and ruffles Dick's growing dark hair as a response.

The night goes on much less emotional then it had started with Ashley surprise necklace and Dick's gifts from Jason. Ashley sort of sitting back with Rachel and watching it all unfold, liking the way the dark haired girl observed without being out of place, sipping hot cocoa and watching with smiles as Damian suddenly became a child out of nowhere. Ripping into presents like the kid he was meant to be. He and Tim arguing over who had the bigger stack of presents. Damian liked the pastries Jason had gotten for him, mumbling a thank you to the second oldest brother.

Jason is helping Ashley into her coat by the front door, Dick and Rachel have left while Tim and Damian went into the cave to spar, and Diana has said her goodbyes as well. Alfred comes up to them with a paper bag near bursting at the seems. "Some leftovers Master Jason. Miss Ashley I hope you enjoyed this evening."

"Oh Alfred I did, thank you." Alfred hands her a small colorful Christmas bag. "What's this?"

"Master Bruce mentioned that you missed your Birthday in the time jump through the portal, small a time it was. You still missed your Birthday, Miss Rachel and Miss Diana put together some things for you. Master Tim and Master Dick added a few things earlier this evening before you came." Ashley gingerly took the bag, her eyes wide as she glanced from Jason to Alfred.

"They... they didn't need to do that... it's just.." She smiles at the grey haired man. "Thank you Alfred, that was very kind of them." Alfred nods and smiles, escorts them out the door and to the town car before joining Bruce back at the front steps. Snow starting to gently fall around them.

Taillights fading Bruce watches the car leave his sights before glancing up at the grey skies, another storm was rolling in. Alfred standing to his side they stay in silence for a moment. "I am so glad Jason made it this year. I have missed his company." Bruce nods and sinks his hands into his front pockets of his suit.

Seeing all of his boys, together once again. It hurt his chest, his heart aches from the feeling of regret coursing through him. Jason was his biggest failure. He hadn't been fast enough, quick enough, and he'd been fool enough to let the young teen out of his sights. Dick had been different, calm and collected when the situation needed it. Dick had still had a mean streak in him, a temper that flared at the worst times. But he'd never gone off like Jason had. And Bruce had let him go, thinking he needed to learn a lesson.

That lesson ruined Bruce and it had cost Jason his life, and then he had found Tim just months later. Replacing Jason, putting him in the back of his mind while Jason's body rotted under the ground, Tim had become the new son, the new Robin. Bruce had done it all over again, better. But Jason had still been dead, Dick had gone radio silent for nearly a year and Tim was taking the brunt of Bruce's anxiety and fears.

Then Jason was just, there. Barely standing on his own two feet, bloody from Bruce's own fists and the red helmet that had been on his face had been punched clean off. Revealing those blue green eyes that haunted Bruce's dreams for three years. Jason had tried, tried to connect with Tim beside thinking of him as a replacement. Tried to tolerate Damian. Tried to be what Bruce had wanted all along. But that was never going to happen, Bruce now understood that with final clarity. Jason would never be akin to that boy that had worn yellow and green, the light that had shone in his eyes for justice was clouded with vengence burning in them. Rage and hate.

But having him near, in just moments where Bruce could witness Jason smiling, his arm thrown over Dick's shoulders as they talk. Tim's eyes ceasing their timid gaze at the older brother he knew but didn't KNOW before Jason's death. A flash of concern when in Jason's gaze when Damian had an injury that kept Robin from the city for any length of time. Bruce knew Jason loved his brothers, in his own way. And that's all he could ask for at this point. Jason being there, Jason being present, Jason being alive.


	23. Chapter 23

The lift doors clicked shut and Jason punched in the security code to lock it up, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he brushed his hair from his eyes. "Four hours... four hours and I didn't have to shoot any one of my brothers... That's a new record." He grins, slipping off his leather jacket and hanging it on the handlebars of one of his bikes he turns to help Ashley out of her own coat.

"Damian didn't even try to throw a knife at me." The silvery pendent shone at the base of her neck and Jason paused, reached out to finger the necklace gently. He hadn't meant to bring it with him today, meaning to give it to her on the actual Christmas day. However he couldn't help it, he thoroughly enjoyed seeing Bruce's disapproving glare. "You didn't need to actually get me anything Jason."

"I know." He grins, stepping closer to her and taking a deep breath. "Pretty girl should have pretty things." His hands grip at her hips gently, Ashley doesn't pull away when he tugs her closer to him. "I swear, if I didn't know Dickiebird was so head over heels with emo girl, I'd think he was trying to take you from me." He growled softly, slowly backing up until he could sit on the seat of his motorcycle, pulling her to sit sideways across his lap.

Ashley reached up to loop her arms loosely about his shoulders. "You know, Nightwing was my favorite Robin for awhile.." She's teasing him, he knows it, but the spike of jealousy that stabs his spine is too sharp to ignore. His arms slip around her waist, yanking her up against his chest with his strength to growl and nip at the underside of her chin.

"Nightwing, huh? Little Dickie was your favorite Robin? What did it for ya, the tight leotard or the form fitting tights, he's got a great ass I'll give him that." All the time he's talking he's nipping at her neck, grinning every time she gasps or her hips give a little jolt against his lap. "Attracted to the golden boy, were you?"

Ashley could sense his urgency in the way his teeth were nipping harder at her skin and his hands were now grasping onto her tighter than they had. "It was, for awhile... But then I found this one comic, dingy little place where you could get a box for like ten bucks." Jason slowed his hungered gnawing at her neck and turned to light kisses. "But the novelty of perfection wears off, suits change color, and I found a comic that changed my way of thinking about heroes and justice." Jason leaned back to catch her eyes, white framing her face, her eyes shining bright.

"The opening panel had this scrawny little street kid, stealing the tires off the Bat-car. And it just, it made me laugh so hard because who the hell has the balls to do something like that?" Jason smirked as the memory came across his mind's eye, letting Ashley continue her story. "And then I found another one, a different story arc. Tall kid with a white patch of hair, and filled with flashbacks of crawling out of his own grave, a crow bar covered in his own blood..."

Jason watched and felt as she shuddered in his lap, his arms encircled her, gentler then before. "That's why I had the Costume, Jason, I felt like... Look here's this one person, fictional, that knows what it's like to have your face bashed in with a bar, to get so beaten down it take months of recovery to even walk again. And you still put on the mask, the helmet, and you still fight in your own way for what's right." Her hands had come up to frame his chin.

"I think, I'm okay. With what happened to me, because I get to meet you and know you're just as amazing as you're portrayed in the few comics that actually write you in them." Jason leans forward and rests his forehead against her own, their white hair mingling together at their noses, breathing mingling. "I'm taking this as a chance to make myself better than a target, that's why I asked you to teach me. You know how, you know what it's like to be taught with high morals and low morals. I won't be a weak link to you here."

Jason takes a long winded breath and releases it slowly, a small chuckle escapes his lips as he leans that scant inch forward to presses his lips to hers. When he pulls back he's the one framing her face in his hands, but his hands are so big, fingers so long, that he almost cradles her entire chin with the span of his palm. "Okay, sweetheart. I already agreed but this is final. Once we start, I'll give you one chance to back away. Because once the League figures it out, they're gonna do everything they can to stop me and stop you. You'll be going against them, the Justice League. Can you live with that?"

She nods in his grip. "Yes." And her answer is breathless.

Jason brings her closer to him, her chest pressing against his own as he does so. "Ashley Dodge, you are one crazy girl." She's breathes a grin and he smirks against her lips. "I like that." Jason shifts to straddle his bike, pulling Ashley's legs to encase his hips, his arms around her middle. The silver bird pendant sparkles against her neck and Jason leans back to look at it once more.

"First order of training." He grins, bucks his hips once as he leans forward a bit, making Ashley become snug against his hips as he almost pins her to the seat of his bike. Her hair falling about the gas tank and handlebars. "How may times can you cum before you pass out?" Ashley's breath hitches as Jason slips his hand suddenly under her leggings and panties. Fingers sinking into her deeply, her breath a high pitched gasp of surprise as her clothes pull and stretch tight where his forearm and wrist are tugging at them.

"Fuckin' soaked..." Jason groaned, adjusted his arm to reach easily into her core, rubbing and pressing, finding her clit with hardly any searching and circling the bundle of nerves fast, over and over. Watching her half under him panting, gripping his wrists tighter and tighter until her back arches and she screams out in release. Jason pulls his hand back, gripping her hips he picks her up, against his chest and carries her off the bike, back towards his bedroom. "You got a long night ahead of you, sweetheart."

When her back hits the mattress Jason watches as she winces, a tiny flinch. Her hips tensing up for a moment as a pain passes through her. "Shit.." he kneels on the edge of the bed beside her. "You still hurt?" Ashley bites her lips and shakes her head from side to side. He'd seen her flinch and she couldn't hide something like that from him. He'll have to teach her to lie better too.

Jason reaches up and flexes his fingers over her neck to cup the side of her jaw. "Ashley, don't lie to me. Are you still hurting?" This time she nods.

"Just a little, when you threw me on the bed it jolted me..." Jason curses under his breath and sighs. Ashley looks like she wants to argue and say she's alright. But Jason isn't a fucking douche and if a woman says she's hurt he is not going to fucking force her into sex. "Jason, I'm fine.."

"Nope, not gonna happen." And she pretty much pouts, Jason can't help the soft chuckle as he tucks his fingers under her chin, thumb brushing over her bottom lip."Awww, don't pout sweetheart. I won't leave you miserable, just no Jay-dick for ya tonight." Ashley rolls her eyes at him but Jason won't let her pull away from his grip on her chin, his grip isn't harsh, but it's steady enough she goes still and locks eye with him. "I'm not hurtin' you Ashley, I know you want it, and shit that gives my ego a boost." He grins at her boyishly. "I'll take care a'you, but I'm not hurting you anymore than I have. I'm a rough bastard sometimes," he shrugs, "But a woman says she's hurt, I stop." His thumb moves to trace over the curve of her jawline.

He leans forward and licks a trail up her neck to her ear, heavily leaning over her now as his other knee comes up to encase her hips under him. "I'll get ya off plenty without my dick ever going inside of ya sweetheart." He felt Ashley shiver against the bed and smirked as he took her earlobe between his teeth and chewed lightly, her back arching off the covers to press her breasts against his chest. "Now, where were we?"


	24. Chapter 24

Ashley woke to the scent of bacon wafting from the open bedroom door. Half asleep, an ache between her thighs and wearing nothing but a cream colored sweater from her open duffle bag she made her way into the open apartment. Her steps are stumbling and she's basically a zombie until she finds the kitchen and reaches for the bacon on the counter. Leaning heavily on the counter, basically laying her torso on the surface as she munches the crispy slices. Jason watched from his spot in his easy chair, cup of coffee in his hands as he sees her standing there, curving slopes of her ass peeking from the edge of the sweater she had on. Her long hair a wild mess around her shoulders and down her back. Munching on bacon like it's her job and barely awake.

He chuckles under his breath and just watches her for long moments, he'd figured she would wake up to the smell of the tasty breakfast treat. But the way she was standing there was driving him fucking nuts. So as quickly as he could he pulled out his private phone, clicked a silent picture of her standing there from across the room and sent it to Roy. -best fuckin christmas morning ever...- Roy texted back, a series of mad and crying emojis followed a one worded response. Well two words depending on how you looked at it. -fckyu-

Ashley finally wakes up some more, moving to pour herself a cup of coffee in a chipped and weathered white mug. Jason watches intently, three creams, three sugars, a quick stir. She groaned deeply at the scent of the sweet coffee, Jason watching her with rapt attention as she sips a few times and then her eyes finally open like she's really awake now. Seeing Jason's thick body and long legs sprawled into his big chair in front of the tv, watching her with a hungry eyes of a wolf. A predator with it's sights on prey.

She leans her hip against the counter top, sipping her coffee and not looking away from him. Coyly posing for him, hip jutted to the side, the sweater lifting higher on her thighs to showcase her lean legs. She even pointed her fucking toes just right. Jason lifted his hand and crooked a finger in her direction, setting her cup down Ashley made her way over to him. He took her wrist in his hand and tugged, she landed in his lap and his other hand pulled the lever on the side of the chair to flip out the leg rest. Ashley leaned her head back on his shoulder and closes her eyes, still sleep heavy.

"Morning." Jason murmured into her hair, Ashley only grunted and tried to yank the blanket off the arm of the chair up so she could cover her chilled legs. He chuckled and did it for her, leaning back in the chair once she was settled and letting the soft silence lull them back into a doze for another short while. Enjoying the quiet, snow falling gently outside and covering Gotham with it's fresh whiteness before trucks and passerby soiled its purity.

"Jason?" Ashley whispered into his neck where she'd turned to face him.

"Hmm?" He grunted, half asleep again and enjoying her sitting in his lap like she was with nothing on under her sweater.

"My ass is vibrating.." Jason's eyes opened and he did the first thing he thought of, slid his fingers between her legs, making sure there was nothing there. Ashley gasps and lurches up some, Jason's hand staying where it is as his lips start to smirk. His other hand finding his phone vibrating against her left ass cheek, caught between her and his lap.

Jason checks the screen before answering, it's Roy. "Yeah."

'Merry Christmas motherfucker.' Roy's voice was chipper on the phone and Jason smiled against Ashley's hair.

"Merry Christmas Roy, you too Kori." He heard a soft reply from the alien woman as Roy took the line back.

'Are we still on for bad movies and shitty presents?" Jason thought about it, mostly just wanting to keep Ashley all to himself. Though he couldn't say no to Roy, they were his family, His closest and only friends.

"Yeah, 'course man. Come on over whenever you're ready." Ashley shifts on his lap and he barely suppresses a groan as she smirks from the corner of his eyes, her hand 'slipped' between them to lightly rub him over his boxers.

'Should we wait a bit?" Roy asks coyly from the phone and Jason grunts, Ashley's hand slipping inside his boxers now and she leans forward to whisper in his ear.

"I'm not hurting anymore..."

"Yeah, gimme an hour..." He flings the phone to the couch across from them and tackles Ashley as much as he can. Grabbing her hips and moving her about like a rag doll until she's straddling his lap, his cock is free of his boxers and hes' pulling her down onto him to rub against her entrance. "Fuck, you're killing me..."

"Jason, come on... I'm fine now, just a little ache from last night..." She whines, rocks her hips over him and he throws his head back in a groan, grip tight on her hips. Teasing him with her body like a fucking pro the way she's moving over him, slicking his cock with her wet lips.

Jason moves his legs, closing the leg rest on the chair so he can plant his feet on the floor and rock back against her. "You sure you're okay?" Ashley answered by yanking his head back by his hair and looking down at him, her hips hovering over him as the tip of his cock settles against her entrance, ready to penetrate.

"Todd, fuck me." His hands yank her down and he groans while she gasps out a whine, her walls stretching around him and pulsing for a moment before he holds her still, his hips moving with fervor. The blanket falling from them and puddling on the floor, Ashley lifting the sweater from her torso to toss to the ground.

Jason sat up more, letting her move to her own rythum so he could force his lips and teeth against her breasts. Giving her the time to adjust to him, to go her own pace so he won't accidently hurt her again, careful of how hard he thrusts up into her. His hands span over her back, nails tracing over the tattoo on her lower spine and she shudders, gasping softly to take her hands from his hair and grip his shoulders. They keep traveling up over her flesh and trace gently over the barely raised lines of scars across her shoulders and upper back. He was lucky enough that the pit put him in peek performance, enhanced his body beyond that of normal human strength and took every imperfection on his skin away. She couldn't, she was littered with them.

She started to rock harsher against his lap and Jason held her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly, keeping her against him as he pounded into her from underneath. Their skin was starting to sweat and he just held her tighter against him, the position kept him deep inside her with enough space to pus and pull, hitting that spot deep inside of her that made her walls tighten and him groan. His lips found hers and he kissed her breathless, tongues dancing as he kept pushing and thrusting.

"Come on, baby..." He grunts against her lips, changing the angle a bit as her clit is rubbed against his pubic bone on every pull down. Her back started to tense every time her hit her clit and he grunted, upping his pace because he wasn't going to last long. Ashley clung to him, her nails digging into the thick muscle of his back, her breath heavy and panting over his neck as she started to buck and cry out in orgasm.

Jason felt that tingle in his spine and groaned, his arms enveloping Ashley against his chest while he panted for breath with his release. Thick ropes of his cum spilling into her making Jason freeze as he felt the warmth differently than he usually did. It wasn't encased tightly around his dick, stuck in the condom. "Fuck, fuck, fuck..." Jason groaned deeply and his grip was a fraction tighter against Ashley as she lifted her head in confusion. Her eyes glazed and breath heavy.

"Jas..." She tensed and Jason felt her tense, she could feel his warm cum seep into her pussy. Caught between the ring of her entrance and his thick cock. "Crap..." She whispered but Jason couldn't speak just yet.

All he could think, was FUCK. over and over inside his head. He's always so fucking careful with himself, always wearing a stupid condom. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck ..."Fuck!" He groaned once more, Ashley pulling back, her face a bit confused and downtrodden. She didn't even fully realize.

"Okay, shit fuck..." Jason wrapped his arms around her once more and simply stood up with her in his arms and against his chest. His cock still very much wanting to stay seated inside of Ashley at the moment and he didn't pull out, instead walking them toward the bathroom to let her gently down into the shower stall.

"Jason?" Ashley watched as he crouched low and started to rummage deep in the cabinets under the sink and then the medicine shelves behind the mirror. Questionable pill bottles and boxes falling to the counter top as he still searched for what he was looking for.

"Jason..?" He still didn't answer her and Ashley moved to sit gingerly on the edge of shower seat, watching him with curiosity. She didn't think much about it, him releasing inside. It had Happened to her before and she'd been pretty lucky about not ending up pregnant. Plus, her periods were wonky after her beatings. Her doctor had said for a few years now that she may not be able to have children anyways.

"Jason it's fi.."

"No, it's not!" His voice is a growling boom as he whips around and he looks different, a wide eyed wild look in his eyes. Ashley pauses and doesn't finish her sentence. "You don't get it, when Talia brought me back she tried to SEDUCE ME! She wanted perfection! When Damian went off and went back to Bruce, she needed a new perfect progeny!" He's pointing way from them and he's shouting, a feral look to his features.

"Talia made sure I was the male version of perfect, including virality." He's still shouting, his hair falling into his face. "I could get an eighty year old barren woman pregnant with one load, Ashley!" He grips his hair and she's not sure what to do at the moment. Jason shouting was something she hadn't experienced before but his words cut trough her like a hot knife.

She wasn't some barren woman in her near ninties, she was young and healthy and... "Fuck..." Now she's staring to panic, Jason's virile sperm was now coursing through her system like live wire and she started to tremble as she sits on the bench seat. Jason saw her sudden demeanor change and he relaxed, realized he had been shouting at the poor girl. It's not her fucking fault he didn't wear a fucking stupid ass condom.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay." He crouched in front of her, sighing in relief when she didn't flinch at his small touch to her bare knee. "It's my fault, just sit here a minute. I should have some morning after pills somewhere." She nods and he goes back to looking for the small blue and white box. He knew he had some, he knew it. He always kept them for this exact reason. Sometimes he forgot to slide on the rubber condom. Not often but still, he did. But this was the second time in as many days that he'd forgotten with Ashley and he needed to get a fucking grip. He'd ruin both their fucking lives if he didn't pay attention. He might have already, if he can't find that fucking package.

The lift was coming up and Jason heard the rattle of it through the bathroom. Jason groaned and hit his forehead on the mirror before him, he hadn't found the package yet. Roy and Kori were here now, fuck. "Go ahead and get in the shower." He tried to give her a reassuring smile but it didn't reach his eyes as he grabbed a towel to wrap around his middle to go greet his friends, leaving Ashley to shower alone in the bathroom.

Roy and Kori were bundled up for the cold, hats and heavy coats on Roy while Kori just had a light hoodie. Her alien body heat keeping her warm in all weather. Roy saw the distress on Jason's face and the happy expression fell. "Jay? What's wrong? Is she okay?" Kori stopped her hovering and paused to watch the two men.

"I need a favor, go to the drug store, get me a pack of plan b pills." Roy gave Jason the most dad looking dissaproving look he could muster and zipped his coat back up, pulling his trucker hat back over his red hair.

"I'll be right back." He gave Kori a kiss on the cheek and headed back to the lift, vanishing from sight.

Kori turned to look at Jason with her emerald green eyes and Jason couldn't meet her gaze. He knew he fucked up, bad. Her intense unblinking gaze wasn't making him feel any better, it was making his feel worse. His anatomy could easily ruin a girl's life, that's why he was always so careful with women. And why he rarely got with a girl in the first place. His nights spent with Kori and Roy were special but Kori would always be Roy's girl and Jason respected that.

"You care for her." Kori's voice shocked him to glance up, hair in his face as he did so.

"What?"

"Otherwise you would not have screwed around and forgotten protection. For not preparing for this exact scenario. You care for her, and it made you careless." Jason stared at her slack jawed for a moment but instead of saying something back Kori stood on her own instead of floating and walked back to the bathroom where the shower had started moments ago.


	25. Chapter 25

Ashley sat in the shower, the frosted glass door closed and her back chilled as she curled on the seat inside the shower. Her arms around her legs as she let the hot water fall over her, wondering in the back of her mind how long she had until the heat ran out. Her mind was sort of blank, she was relying on Jason to bring her a pack of pills. They would make everything okay and then she wouldn't have top anic, she did not want to panic. She did not.. want to...panic.

"Shit.." Her hands came up and tangled in her hair, gripping the long locks and tugging on them harshly, hard enough to illicit a yelp from her own lips.

"You musn't harm yourself Ashley." Ashley gasps, the door to the shower is half open and Kori is tugging off her panties, completely naked as the deeply tanned alien woman steps into the shower with Ashley and closes the door.

Kori stepped under the spray simply to go ahead and get her skin wet, her hair tugged to the side of her neck. She sat beside AShley on the bench seat, her arms around the panicking blonde. "Shh, be calm. Roy has gone to the drug store. "So where's Jason?" Ashley only nodded and sighed, let Kori hold her and comb long fingers through her damp hair. Trying to ignore the other woman's sizaeble breasts slicked with water and pressed against her own side.

"You musn't blame Jason. He is reckless, but not when it comes to these things." Kori started to braid and part Ashley's damp hair as the water touched ove their fronts and legs. "Jason is only careless when he is heavily distracted." Ashley turned to glance at Kori and was brought to pause by the woman's shockingly super green eyes for a moment.

"I don't want to distract him... I don't want to be a weakness to him or any of you.." She turned to look away and over her other shoulder, not wanting to look at Kori or her green eyes.

"You are a distraction." Kori reached around and tucked Ashley's chin to make the blonde look at her fully. "You distracted him so fully, he forgot a condom, not once but twice." Her eyes caught Ashley again and held the blonde with her gaze. "I can see exactly why Jason is so worried and why he has been so disracted."

Ashley's lips are covered with Kori's and she so shocked for a moment she doesn't respond. But then Kori is pulling back but Ashley follows her. Melding their lips back together because there's something in Kori's taste that's addictive. She's like warm sunshine on a breezy summer day, like a field of lavender mixed with fresh oranges. Wild and warm, so warm. Kori's skin was like a heat blanket left on high and Ashley was the icy chill feeling of being out in the snow for hours.

Kori slipped her longer arms about Ashley's back and shoulders, holding her closer as Ashley reached up and tangled her hands into Kori's long orange red hair, finding it soft and sleek. Not a tangle in sight. This wasn't Ashley's first girl on girl experience and it wouldn't be her last. She liked girls, the soft skin and curves. But she preferred the hard planes and edges of men, plus, a dick gave a better orgasm by far then fingers. But Kori, Kori might put that to the test. She was both feminin and hard edges.

Breathless, Kori puled away. Taking Ashley's hands and having her stand from the seat and turn to face away from her. Ashley, confused, went to look back but Kori pushed her chin back around. Hands sunk into Ashley's hair and after a moment she figured it out, Kori was washing Ashley's hair out. Soft touches and light kisses over her shoulders, Ashley was in a daze. Nearly forgetting what had made her so panicky moments before. The suds rinsed from her hair, Kori reached out to turn the water off. Then Kori led the blonde out of the shower and toward the counter, sat her down with immense strength to make Ashley feel like a kitten, and started to dry off their wet skin with fluffy grey towels.

When Jason came to check on Ashley, he found her sat on the bathroom counter, her legs wrapped around Kori's hips. Arms wrapped around the alien woman's back as Kori kissed her senseless, their lips melding together in fervored movements as Kori held Ashley's head captive with her hands tightly woven in Ashley's damp hair. Jason didn't exactly know how to react at first, he hadn't expected the sight of the two woman kissing heavily on his bathroom sink counter, but after a moment he shook his head and cleared his throat.

Ashley pulled back sharply, but Kori was calm. Flitting her gaze toward Jason just a moment, focusing back on Ashley's soft panting breaths as she blushes a deep pink. "Really, Kori?" The alien only shrugged, gently patted Ashley's cheek, and giving no care about her nudity, stopped to pick up her clothes then waltz out of the bathroom.

Walking up to her, Ashley actually pulled a mostly damp towel from beside her and tried to cover her nudity from Jason's gaze. She felt akward right now, and feeling like that waranted for her instincts to cover up her bare form. Blushing from her make out with Kori, why the hell had she done that again... And Jason, he didn't seem... He didn't seem phased by it at all. He just crowded in on her, hands placed beside her hips and resting his forehead against her own.

"I..I'm sorry.." Whispers coming from her lips and Jason isn't having it. Nothing that happened this morning is her fault. Nothing.

"Nu-uh, don't you go taking the blame for something I did." He pushed his head a little into hers in comfort while he watched her hands play in her towel covered lap. "It's my job to remember something like that Ashley, I'm the one who's sorry." Reaching back, he pulls the small medical box from his back pocket and set it at her side. "This is gonna sound really fucking shitty, but there's really no way around it so..."

"I've..taken them before. Nausea and stomach cramps, right?" Jason nods to her, pulling back some so he can see her face as she picks up the box and opens it. He won't let her dry swallow the bulky white pill, the empty glass by the sink is filled and he hands it to her so she can take it with water.

Ashley fiddled with the empty glass in her hands, still nervous about his reaction to seeing her and Kori, fuck she totally regrets that now. She should have resisted those green eyes.. "About Kori... I... I didn't mean.."

"Oh, it's fine, I know she's got this lure about her. I've fallen for her charms quite a few times. It's no big deal, unless you make it one." He watched as Ashley's face pursed as she looked up at him with confusion. "Me and Roy, Kori, we've all been together a few times." He shrugs. "I just didn't know you batted for both teams. Or have you been faking it this whole time?" He grins when she coughs on a short laugh and her lips quirk into a smile.

"I prefer dick to be honest, but you know, she's gorgeous!" Ashley exclaims softy before pulling her hands back into her lap. The situation still a bit weird for her. For both of them.

"Good to hear. And she is gorgeous, but so are you." He tucks some of her drying hair behind her ear and smriks, tries to calm her unease. "Come on, get dressed in something comfy. I'll get a trashcan and we'll watch crappy Christmas movies, kay?" Ashley nods, letting Jason grip her hips to lift her from the counter to set her feet on the floor.

By the time Jason led Ashley back into the large apartment, she was already starting to feel her stomach do flip and her head started to pound. The plan b pill was meant to cleanse her uterous, and it dissolved in her stomach making it roll and bubble. Jason could see it in her face, how she was feeling, so he puleld her back into his lap as he sat in the big chair. Ashley waved timidly to Roy and Kori who were curled onto the big couch comfortably.

"I got you and Jay the biggest box of condoms I could find." Roy smirked, tossing a box of Trojans at Jason's head. Jason defelcted it and the box hit the ground but Ashley was covering her face on her hands as she blsuhed.

"Roy, look at ther. She's blushing so sweetly." Kori almost, poouted? Ashley glanced up and Roy had a possessive arm around Kori's middle, holding the alien to his side with a weathered look.

"Kori please, she's not feeling well. Haven't you had enough fun for today?" Kori only sighed and curled back into Roy's side, sending a wink over to the still blushing Ashley.

Jason and Roy only caught each other's eyes from across the space and grinned. Kori, when finding another woman she liked, wouldn't stop until she'd gotten what she wanted. Roy couldn't wait to see how Ashley would react to anything the four of them could do together. He knew Jason wanted the blonde to himself for right now and that was totally fine with Roy and Kori. For the moment for Kori at least.

Hands pulled the blanket from the floor and covered Ashley's form in his lap, his arms wrapped around her middle gently so not to agitate her quickly displeased stomach. She was quiet, they all were, as the dvd started to play. He felt so fucking guilty. He was putting Ashley through this because he hadn't paid attention to what he was doing, so fucking stupid. He'd been way more careful from now on with her, this wouldn't happen again. It would not.


	26. Chapter 26

Jason waved Roy and Kori good-bye as they left his place late into the night. With the way Kori was attached to Roy's neck with teeth and lips, Jason smirked and knew his friend was getting laid for christmas. The lift sounded and then all was quiet for a long time, he left the television on but the sound was low. He held Ashley to his chest and lap as she slept soundly. When the cramps and nausea had finally subsided she'd fallen asleep and since then had been clinging to him in her sleep. He didn't mind, not entirely. She was soft and warm, and didn't want anything from him. But he'd been sitting in this chair for over six hours and he was itching to move. Sitting still drove him nuts.

Slowly, he stood and made sure the blanket was still caught around Ashley as he moved her across the floor and to the bedroom. He watched her sleep after he finally had her clinging to a pillow instead of his neck. The gentle rise and fall over her chest, her parted lips and the silky locks of her hair thickly layered over her shoulders and upper arms. "I won't fuck up again..." He whispers before turning and heading for the lift.

The first floor of his building was a mix of garage and training room. While he had no need of actual training, seeing as how he could go months with no workouts and still be the exact weight and strength. But right now he needed to let off steam, to push some of this stress out of his system. Anger never left his person, it was constant, and sometimes it built up and the only outlet he had was either brutal fucking or brutal fighting. Seeing as he would never ever be that fucking rough with Ashley again, he had one other option. Throw himself through a routine that was grained into his body since he was a kid, and hope it eased some of his tension.

Weights, stretches, treadmill, stair stepper, more weights, rope throwing, more weights then demolishing a punching bag. Sand spilled from the ripped seam of the bag and Jason stood, drenched in sweat and panting heavily through his nose. It helped, in small amounts, the workout usually did at first. But by the time he's near finished and he feels some semblance of ease in his body. He remembers Bruce taught him this routine. Dick helped train him and the memories of his life as a Wayne son bombarded him until the rage came back again.

To keep himself from spiraling yet again, Jason looked over he equipment and wondered if Ashley had used any of it before. She was toned, very toned, but her balance wasn't that of a fighter or a weight trainer. He'd have to see if she had any semblance of fight in her and if she did he'd train her to fight. If she didn't, he'd train her to run and defend as a last resort. She wanted to learn so he'd teach her, but he wasn't making her a killer. That kind of toll on the mind, he didn't see Ashley being mentally stable if she became like him.

The lift sounded and Jason glanced up as Ashley came down on it, the blanket wrapped loosely around her shoulders and pulled tight at her hips by her hands to cover her still very bare legs beneath it. She padded forward and hissed as the near icy cement floor shocked her warm toes. Jason grinned, stood and came over to her to pick her up and set her on the weight lift bench. "What you doing down here?"

"You're phone was ringing.." She held out the phone but the screen was cear, she'd answered it.

"You took the call." She nods, biting her lip. "Well who was it and what did they want."

"First off, I wasn't going to answer but it rang like three times." She nibbles on her lip. "It was Mack?, he said there's a rogue seller on your turf and two of your girls went missing last night." Jason closed his eyes and sighed angrily through his nose. He didn't say a word as he picked her up, carried her to the lift and punched in the buttons. His grip gentle on her but she could feel the tension in his shoulders.

When they're on the living floor, Jason quickly walks over to his weapons stash, loading a clip into two glocks and making sure his belt was full. "Come on." His voice is harsher than before and Ashley follows as Jason shed his work out shorts and tugs on clean clothes. Forgoing regular jeans and instead grabbing tactical pants, and his armored chest plate. A splattered red bat drawn over the breast bone of it.

Jason paused when he noticed Ashley just standing there in his sweater and a pair of panties, god she was driving him insane looking like that. But she was looking at him curiously, didn't know what he wanted from her. "Get dressed, you wanted to learn right?" She nods. "You're coming with me then. No better time like the present."

He tossed her a pair of her jeans and smirked that way he does when she tugs off the sweater she was wearing, baring her naked chest to him, blushing like he hadn't already tasted every inch of her breasts more than twice now. Slipping on his boots he sat down on his bed to tie up the laces, tucking the ends of his pants into the boots as he did so. His red face shield sat by his hip and Ashley reached out to slide a finger over its glossy blood red surface.

"Got a kink for the Hood?" He pulled her closer to his chest and she stumbled, falling right into his lap from his strength.

"Why do you wear it? Doesn't everyone sort of know it's you anyways?" Oh, that.

"Does everyone know it's me in your world?" She shakes her head.

"Depending on the timeline, the era and if you're even considered a Robin, but yeah. In some cases, then everyone knows who's under the hood.." She pauses a moment and stifles a chuckle. "Sorry just, one of those series is named 'Under the Red Hood' and... nevermind." She reaches up to brush back some of her long hair.

"I wear it because, no, very few people actually know it's me under the Hood. If I get caught with my face doing bad things, well, facebook is fucking great a facial recognition and apparently Bruce made up some crack story where I went missing. They buried an empty coffin and I came back crazy, so I'm in some sort of healing facility across the world in Switserland." He snorted and rolled his eyes. He didn't care about his name being thrown into the muck but Bruce did. His hand crept over her hip to palm the tattoo at her lower spine. "We need to go, wear boots, your coat... Can you shoot a gun?"

Ashley nods her head timidly. Jason does not believe her, not one bit. He was going to shove a small pistol in the back waistband of her jeans but there goes that. He can watch out for her anyways. She shouldn't need it. "We'll work on that later, here." As she pulls her boots on he walks to the main room, waiting for her to follow. Shen she does he stops to a crouch, his hands slipping up her inner thigh to make her gasp as he straps on a blade to her thigh. It's not a gun, but is a large enough weapon most will give her another look before trying anything.

Ashley pulls on her coat and zipps it up. "You sure you're ready for this? This isn't some romantic movie on HBO about a drug lord and shit. This is real Ashley, these men are bastards and will kill on sight. You might be smokin' hot but that won't stop them from doing anything to you."

"But you will." Her voice turns strong and she locks eyes with him, unblinking for long moments as he looks down his nose at her. She was right, he'd keep her safe. Nothing would happen to her on his watch. He also knew the moment any of his underlings saw her, the rumors would go flying. It would only take a matter of time for the League to find out he introduced her to his life.

Jason raised a brow at her resolve "You really want to be part of this?" She nods once more at him as he leans forward to cup her chin in his hand and kiss her lips sweetly. "Crazy girl. Get on my bike before I fuck you again." Her gasp makes him smirk, but she moves to sit on the large bike by the lift while Jason places his face shield on. The metal expanding to cover his entire head, the computer inside it booting up and showing him vitals, maps and radio signals.

The bike came to life, once the lift was secured and locked once more, Jason took off into the night of lower east Gotham. The screech of the bike roaring through the streets, signaling his approach as he moved through alley and intersections to get to the chapel. But before he got there he tucked the bike into a pitch back alley, turning in his seat some to look at Ashley's wind blown face. "Be strong, don't let their shit get to you." She nods as Jason turns the bike back onto the main road and toward a brick looking church building in the distance.

When Jason makes an entrance, he makes an entrance. Ashley followed him, her leather hood still up on her coat, hands in pockets (she's trying really effing hard to look like a badass and channel her inner cosplayer). Jason throws the double wood doors open, using his superior strength to make the hinges creak and dust to fall from the old ceiling as they banged harshly against the walls.

Ashley watched through her hair and hood as the men and few women gathered in the large building moved out of Jason's way to the cowering man tied to a chair at the front of the old church. Almost all those eyes turned to Ashley but she kept her pace even and followed Jason, closely. She didn't want to be separated from him in this place.

"This the fucker on my turf?" A burly man in his near fifties came forward and nodded to Jason. "Where at, Mack?"

"Found him four blocks in, tried to force one of the girls into his car too." No one could see Jason's face from under the metal face plate, however Ashley could sense it. Like everyone else in the room, it sort of grew quieter while Jason stalked a slow circle around the man in the chair. No one was really paying her any attention and Ahsley was glad of that as she watched Jason.

"Four blocks in, huh? That's three and half too late. You knew where you were going, didn't you?" Jason leaned forward at the hips, arms crossed as the man in the chair visibly paled further. He didn't answer Jason, so he was backhanded so hard that a tooth fell out and blood pooled from the corner of his lips. Ashley froze, watching fascinated as the blood sprayed over the floor.

"You're real stupid for trying to sell on my turf, but trying to foreceone of MY girls? Seriously?" This time Jason punched the man on the other side of the jaw, everyone hearing the crunch of bone and the scream of the man as he chocked and spat up a chunk of his own tongue.

"Who do you sell for? I wanna know who is stupid enough to encroach on my territory." Ashley stays where she is while Jason comes around to her, a hand curling over her hip for a moment possessively, a silent signal for the men that were sneaking up behind her to back off, and they did. Then Jason was gone and back in front of the bleeding man trying to cry for help.

"Nobody! I don't sell for nobody!"

"You're really stupid ain't cha?" Jason tugs a wooden chair over the floor by the back rest, the squealing of the legs on the old worn wood making the man flinch as Jason spins the chair around to sit down. Jason leant back leisurely in his chair for a few minutes, watching as the man choked on his own blood and pleaded to be killed. It was a waiting game sometimes. "Tell me, who you , sell for."

He was gonna wait, he could be patient sometimes. So he let the bloody man stew in his seat, motioned with a hand for him to be dragged, chair and all, into a room down the hall and out of his sight. He focused back on the room around him, there was a small bubble of space around Ashley, good. Her hood was up and her hair was hiding her face along with the hood, her hand in her front pockets and she was standing with most of her weight on one foot. She looked calm to the outside eye, but Jason can see the little signs most of his guys could pick up on now. The twitch of her fingers in her coat pockets and the way her thigh muscles were flinching some as if she was ready to bolt at any second. Somehow she hid the white locks of ehr hair inside the hood.

Mack came forward to Jason's right and crossed his arms. The man had been with Jason since he took over the territory. He was a good second, he kept the underlings in line so Jason didn't have to get involved every time and more than anything, he was loyal ."This a new girl?" Mack grunted and Jason smirked behind his helmet. Could see how most of his men were itching to touch her. That coat did nothing to hide her curves from view.

"You think I let a walker answer my personal phone?" His voice was patronizing as his hand came up and he crooked a finger for Ashley to come over to him. She did, and tried hard not to basically run to him, keeping her pace as even as she could as she walked across the chapel to him.

Mack gave a confused expression as the woman came up to the Hood and let her stand at his shoulder. "This is Dodge." Ashley rose a brow under her hood but kept her face as calm as she could while Jason reached up and tugged her hood back so everyone could see her face.

Without her hood to obscure her face Ashley let her shoulders pull back and she glanced around. These men were rough, with sidearms strapped to their persons. Scarred faces and angry eyes, every one could put a bullet in her before she could blink and every one was looking at her like she had three heads. Jason's arm slipped around her back to grip her hip and he leaned back more in the chair, utterly relaxed as he held Ashley to his side while she stood beside him.

"Dodge is gonna be around a for awhile." Murmurs went off and Jason barked out for everyone to shut the hell up, and they did. Silence ringing out around the chapel save for the man still pleading for his life down the hall. His grip was more of a possessive gesture than to make Ashley feel better, though, it was easing the tension on her shoulders so she crossed her arsm nonchalantly.

"Boss... she looks too good to be from around here.." Mack spoke up, a bead of sweat dropping down his thick neck as the sheen of the hood helmet tilted and glanced at the pretty girl to his side and then back toward Mack.

"It's not your concern." Jason murmured low and Mack shut his mouth. "What's the situation with the missing girls? Where were they last seen and has anyone checked the hospitals?" His questions were answered but not what he wanted to hear. The girls were long time residents of the Hood's turf. Were good working girls who never tried to pinch their earnings from the higher ups. They wouldn't leave like that. A car was spotted speeding away. Jason sent men to follow that lead. Others to canvas the streets and their homes. He needed to make sure they were safe, if they were dead or stolen by another pimp. He'd have to wage war , again.

Ashley watched with rapt attention as Jason dealt with everything said to him with only a hint of his true anger. He was making spit second choices that gave the best option for his people and not just himself. He gave orders and they were taken seriously. His thumb had pushed under the edge of her coat and sweater to rub soothingly at her hip, hidden but nice to feel. She was nervous, but, watching Jason work? Seeing him deal with problems, try to find the missing women and even intorregate the man tied to a chair. She was getting a rush from it all, and Jason could see it in the way she didn't look away from the blood or flinch at his harsh voice like some of the newer members still did.

The man was ready to talk, everyone could tell by the way he started to shout out he would give away his supplier. Jason stood, and Ashley jerked forward because his finger was hooked into the belt loop of her jeans, yanking her with him as they moved down the hall where the man was now kept. Jason keeping her close to his person as they entered a new empty room. That had a shit ton of blood stains covering the floor, the walls, the ceiling.. the light fixtures.

It had to be a test of some sort by Jason, it had to be. Because he tugged her tight against his hip, making sure his thigh pressed some between her legs as she hung close against him. His hand splayed over her ass while the other hand pulled a gun from his belt and he expertly shot the mans right kneecap. Ashley gripped the back of his leather jacket tight but otherwise didn't react beside a widening of her eyes. The man was screaming out in pain, he sounded like a stuck pig.

"Maximoff! I work for russian, oh my god I can't feel my leg!"

Jason tilted his head and then shot the other kneecap, blood sprayed from the wound barely touching the edge of his pant leg. He paid no mind and instead his hand on Ashley's ass moved up then back down. A slow movement and Ashley finally figured it out when he gripped the highest part of the inside of her thigh. This was arousing to him, something about all this was turning him on, she shuddered and her thighs clenched. She wasn't expecting the same feeling to envelope her so heavily.

"Thank you for you cooperation." Jason spoke, leveling his gun once more and shooting the man between the eyes then holstered his glock. "Find his car, drop it off at the edge of russian valley." He gripped Ashley's back side once more and turns his head to Mack and several others who were starting to untie the now dead drug pusher. "Put a little note on it, don't fuck with the Hood." Mack nodded, glancing at Dodge's flushed face and the way the Hood was grabbing her ass like he was. Sick white girl was getting off on this shit.

Jason dropped his hand and made his way back through the chapel, giving last minute orders and telling everyone Merry fucking Christmas before he left through the doors, Ashley hot on his heels as they made their way to his bike. Jason waited as she threw her leg over the seat and then took off into the night, causing her to cling to his back and waist as he took sharp corners and sped through the streets.

Jason found the closest alley that was nice and dark, out of the way, tires screeching as he spun it into the thin space and slammed on his breaks. Ashley's barely had time to come back from the whiplash of his turn before Jason yanked her body around the motorcycle to sit on his lap with her legs spread wide over him. His mask was ripped from his head as he attacked her lips and neck, his teeth bit into the soft skin of her under jaw.

"Fuck... You didn't even flinch..." He growled as she gasped and was breathless from his lips. her eyes were wide and lust blown, matching his own. Jason groaned, hands on her hips to grind her spread legs and groin against his raging hardon. The blood, the scent of gunpowder, waling screams of pain. All of it usually gave him a boner, a high on the pain of others and of being in power. But with Ashley, god damn, she didn't move away from him, she pressed close ans she stayed up against him like he'd wanted. He's possessive male hindbrain was going fucking nuts and he needed to fuck her. Now.

But he needed to get them back to the apartment, back to the safety of that space where he didn't need the masks or the secrecy. And he needed his bed. He;d fuck her on the bike some other time, not today. "Crazy... you're fucking crazy..." He murmurs into her lips, helps her back to the seat and grins as her hands slip under the armored chest plate to spread over his abs. It did not however help the raging erection he had and he sped home, dangerously.

With the lift bringing them up to the living floor, the locks clicked and security system booted back on, Jason tackled Ashley. His arms pulled and tugged at her coat to send it to the floor as his mask was tossed to the ground by the bikes. Ashley panted for breath while Jason grabbed the back of her thighs, hoisting her up to press her hips against his groin. He was going insane, he had to be, the way he constantly was after her like this. He'd always had a high sex drive, but this... this was more then he'd experienced.

He sat her on the counter in the kitchen, grasping at her hips as he trails his tongue and teeth over the thick cord of her throat. Her skin soft under his touch while her hips rutted against him over his pants. The heavy utility belt making it difficult for her to really move against him with all the ammo clips, knives and gear. "Easy." He chuckles at the little whimper in the back of her throat as he pushes her back gently so he can take the belt from his hips. He gripped her neck in his hands, thumb touching over the line of her jaw as she breathed heavily. "You're fucking crazy girl... none of that bothered you?"

She shook her head in his hold. "No, you don't scare me Jason." He shook his head and leaned forward with a growl, yanking the shirt from her torso to bury his face between her heavy breasts for a moment.

"I shot a man in front of you, Ashley, I killed someone." She shrugs and Jason feels the movement he stands to his full height and cages her in with his arms on either side of her hips. A slow roll of his hips pressing his groin against her jeans covered cunt.

"So?" She was breathless and her hands gripped his sides to try and pull him closer to her. "He was a pusher, he probably sold to underage kids, he was trying to FORCE one of your girls into his car!" She shakes her head and frowns when Jason doesn't give in and push closer into her thighs. "Fucker deserved it.."

Jason groans low in his throat, his hand winds into the thick locks of her hair at the nape of her neck. Turning her head up and her eyes open as he holds her there in his grip, the clench of her thigh muscles enough of an indicator that she doesn't mind the treatment one bit. "Dodge, welcome to the Outlaws..."


	27. Chapter 27

Jason watched her sleep with a fucking grin on his lips. Her back tucked up against his chest and hips. Lazily his hand traced over her bare hip and stomach. Every trace over her lower belly he could feel her thighs and hips twitch from the soft touches. He couldn't get enough of her, fuck he just couldn't. Her skin called him to touch and grip, her lips begged to be kissed red and plump. Hair silky and smooth, ready to be clenched into his fist or thrown over the sheets or clinging to her sweat soaked neck. He shouldn't have slept with her less then twenty four hours after taking that pill, she couldn't have been feeling at one hundred percent but she never complained and showed no sign of any discomfort. He did remember condoms this time, and there were several tied up and sunk into the trashcan by his bed.

Dropping lower Jason traced his lips over her exposed neck and shoulder, tongue tasting her salty skin as his hips gave a few short thrusts against her rounded ass. "God, you're so fucking beautiful.." He groaned softly into her ear, it was enough to start to rouse Ashley from her sex induced near coma. Her spine arching a bit and pushing back into his hard body curled around hers. Dipping his hand down and between her legs, Jason kissed over her jaw under her ear as he found fresh wetness at her entrance.

"Jaaaaaaaay." She moaned his name in a long breath as she roused from her deep sleep, Jason grinned and peppered kisses over her jaw from leaning over her. Ashley arches her back to roll against him, hand brushing tangled locks of her hair from her face and neck as she half scowls up at him. "I swear to god you got no refractory period.." She mumbled something about super soldiers and serums and Jason's brow furrowed as she tried to hide her face under a pillow.

"Super soldier serum?" Ashley only groans and peeks from the pillow.

"Different comic verse, ignore that." Jason only raised an eyebrow and yanked the pillow from her head. Smirking as she gasps and squirms against his abdomen. He hums, fingers gently stroking over her. Little moans comes from her lips.

"Sore?" He questions as she inhales sharply, but she shakes her head and arches under his touch, her top leg lifting some to make room fro his larger hand. But Jason instead pushes with his hips and rolls them to where Ashley is on her stomach, legs spread wider as he ruts against her ass. His hand still trapped under her and between her legs, fingers quickly rolling over he clit to make her gap and buck against him. "Good.."

Reaching over to the nightstand Jason grabbed a foil packet and ripped it open with his teeth to slip the condom down over his length. Ashley was hot ads wet between her thighs, his hand pulled from under her to grip both her hips, keeping her still as she squirmed and he sunk into her from behind. Both of them groaning softly as Jason pulled back to sink into her quickly, his pace picking up.

Ashley gripped at the sheets and blankets curled around them, her breath heavy as Jason fucked into her. This angle gave him the advantage of hitting her g spot easily with his long length while also just touching her cervix of he pressed in hard enough. Jason's pace was just right, enough that they could go like this for while and still enjoy every moment. But soon Ashley was whimpering for release and Jason couldn't hold back much longer.

Jason gripped her hips in his hands, yanked upwards as he reared back onto his knees, all without removing his cock from inside of her. On hands and knees, his chest and stomach curling over her back as sweat slicked their skin, Jason picked up the pace. Ashley reached down to rub at her clit and she cried out his name while Jason growled into the back of her neck, lips pressing soft kisses after every harsh bite against her delicate flesh. He helped her lay back to the sheets while he sat back on his heels and panted, easing his breath as he grinned wolfishly down at her panting form.

"Got to say sweetheart, you're keepin' up with me damn well." She scoffs and peels back the sweaty locks of hair from her face once more, a strand of white along her nose. "Come on." He touches her ankle softly and then offers her his palm. "Let's go shower."

"Oh god, please just shower okay? You fuck me one more time and I don't think I'll be able to walk!" Jason only smirked widely at her and simply picked her up, over his shoulder with a swat to her thigh as he carried her to the bathroom.

"Challenge accepted!" They did not have sex, thankfully, because Ashley really thought she might lose feeling in her legs.

Drying off and getting dressed, Ashley expected Jason to leave when his phone rang. Instead he answered in a gruff tone. "Yeah?" "I see.." "Where?" "I'll check it out, they got family?" "Damn" "Get it done." Ashley sat on the couch, legs folded underneath her as she tried to towel dry her mass of dark blonde hair, watching Jason curiously as he leans on the counter of the kitchen. The coffee maker crackling and rumbling to life as it poured a cup of coffee to his left.

Ashley watched as a war raged behind his eyes, the green blue colors meshing to become an almost solid blue for several moments while his hands gripped the marble counter so tightly. She almost heard the stone crack, then the blue receded and the green took back over. He glanced over to her and Ashley raised an eyebrow as he came forward and crouched down in front of her. "I gotta go, you comin'?"

He wanted to know if she could handle more of this. He pretty much knew she could at this point, after last night. Her father hadn't shown her the whole world she was born into, but she showed experience that tense situations didn't deter her from bolting. Jason was still wary of her knowlegde of guns and fighting, but now that his men knew OF her. They would think twice before shooting her if she was ever out on her own. This life was dangerous and he'd protect her, but could she protect herself if it came down to it?

She nods, tugging the towel from her still damp hair. "Why'd you call me Dodge?" Jason tilts his head slightly to look at her, still crouching in front of her. Catching her cool gaze with his icy one.

"It's one hell of a name, use it baby." He lifted his hand to chuck her chin playfully, the glitter of her necklace shone and he pointed to it. "Might want to take that off, shiny things attract bad people around here." She gripped the necklace tightly for a minute before nodding at him.

"I like it." Jason smirks now and lurches up to kiss her lips.

"Good, cause it's gonna stick." He keeps close to her for a moment before pulling back and standing up to his full height. "They're gonna be on you like jackels Ashley, they're gonna think you're a lot of things that your not and some of them won't change their minds for a long time. I can make them trust somebody to an extent. But you can. You can let them believe what they think, or you can give them reason to believe you're not what you seem. They're gonna whisper about you being a fling or a whore. They're gonna crack jokes and give you so much shit. But you got to show 'em you're more than that." She's watching him and listening to every word so he continues.

"I told them you're staying around, I mean that. You're in, you're in sweetheart, I ain't changing that but if you want out, I'll take you to Bruce and you'll never get close to this part of the city again. You in? I'll make sure you know exactly how this shit goes down and teach you how to survive, to thrive and kick ass." And he would. She had potential. Ashley looks at him intensely.

"I'm not going back to Bruce, I want to be here. I can do this." Jason sucks on his teeth and then flashes her a smile.

Jason stood, going about his usual routine of getting dressed in his Red Hood garb. The armored chest vest, the tactical pants snug on his thighs and hips. The belt heavy with weapons and gear around his waist. He caught Ashley staring at his backside as he turned to holster his guns. "Keep starin' and I'll make sure you won't walk for a couple days." She scoffs as she pulls her boots on, they were too nice and not sturdy enough, he'd have to get her more durable ones.

He hands her the blade from last night and this time lets her strap it on herself, he makes sure it's snug and then helps her into her coat. He's an ass, but he was raised a gentlemen, though he didn't let that side show too much in public. He stops her from moving away and narrows his gaze, tilting her chin to and fro and he looks at her face. The line of her eyes and the curve of her nose.

"What?" Jason doesn't answer, instead pulling the domino mask from his belt pocket and holding it over her face. It doesn't fit right and the nose is shaped wrong for her petite face, but... He can see it, he can see her eyes framed in black leather and a fire in her gaze as she handles a gun... Maybe a red one... red looks good on her skin.

"Damn... that's kind of hot." And Ashley giggles and her cheeks tinge pink, the mask sloping a little to the side because it's ill fitting and sliding off her smaller nose.

"I know, it's why I got a thing for men in masks." She laughs softly again and lifts her hand to right the mask once more. "Or maybe it's red helmets." Jason grins and takes it from her face, placing it on his own and making sure its snug around his eyes. It felt familiar, his days as Robin and Red Hood melded into one when he had the mask on. Not the helmet, the mask itself. When it was the hood, Jason felt harsher, stronger, void of guilt. The mask kept him grounded behind the helmet, when he was close to an edge he never wanted to jump from but looked over from time to time.

Ashley looked good in the mask. About like Barbara had the first time she'd donned one as Batgirl. But Barbara had a gleam of justice in her eyes, a want to help people. Ashley didn't want that, she wanted to be strong. To fight back against years of running and being scared of her own shadow in case it came at her again with a crowbar or a gun. She looked damn hot..

"Come on, Dodge." He swatted her thigh as he walked to his bike, climbing on the wide seat.

Ashley handed him his face plate and slid in behind him, a thought occurred to him as the lift took them down to the ground floor and he locked up before they left. "Hey, you know how to ride one of these?" He turns his head to look at her from the corner of his eyes, his mask showing her smile and nod, her heartbeat picked up a little from the question. Jason grinned inside the mask and tore out of the alley where the lift to his building was hidden and toward the chapel.

The sound of his bike roused the guards posted out front to sit up straighter, nodding to Hood as he and the new girl walk into the chapel. All five of them watching her ass walk into the church and then vanish behind the double doors. Inside it was a different feeling around the gathered men. Somber almost. Ashley realized she hadn't asked exactly what they were doing back so soon.

Mack was at the left side of the large room, large arms crossed and an angry look to his face. Ashley just followed Jason, her hands in her coat pockets as she watched everyone in her vision. Trying to take it all in. Her feet stopped as Jason went forward to murmur to Mack, she didn't feel she should be privy to that talk. Having her hang all over him wouldn't look good on Jason's behalf and would turn her into a nosy nancy. So she stays off to the side, looking about curiously but staying a few yards away from Jason, just far enough away she still felt safe.

He was right, these men gave her the creeps because of how they leered at her and they were hungry, like starving wolves even though she was mostly covered with a heavy leather coat and jeans and boots. She felt like she was standing there in her underwear, and didn't like it. "Dodge." Her head snapped to the right and Jason crooked his finger for her to come to him. She did and Jason pointed to the two drivers licenses on the table before them. Each with a picture of a pretty woman in their mid thirties, healthy women. Not at all like the hookers someone expects to be living life that way.

"My girls were killed last night." Ashley furrowed her brow and looked up at him.

"How?"

"They overdosed." Ashley frowned and looked at the licences, they were recent. Neither one of those women looked like a long term drug addict.

"They don't look like druggies." Jason nodded to her response.

"Exactly, none of my girls use. That's one of the rules, you use you find other work or you leave." She nodded, she hadn't heard all the rules he laid down for his turf yet. Jason pointed to the cards again.

"You think they were shot up, make it look they they od'd?" Jason nodded.

"What I need you to do Dodge, is to call their families. Break the news to them.." Ashley widened her gaze at him in disbelief. Seriously? But she didn't voice those concerns, just nodded and didn't give anyone a reason to not trust her. She took the paper with scrawled numbers and shoved it into her pocket.

"How come you're making her do it?" A voice sounded, several others grumbling as well. No one could see it, but Jason rolled his eyes behind the helmet.

"Why wouldn't I? She's the only one here don't fucking sound like they wanna steal a wallet." He groused, patting Ashley's ass as she stood beside him. "I told you fucks, she's gonna be around."

"Why?" Silence as Jason stood to his full height and looked around him. "Why she here?"

Jason crooked his finger to Ashley and she came forward, curiousity on her face clear as day turning into confusion as Jason gripped the thick mass of her hair at the nape of her neck. his hand turning into a harsh fist. Pulling her up against his chest like he had last night, it's little harsher than before but Ashley plays along, knowing Jason wouldn't actually hurt her. Silently covering a shudder as it runs up her spine, the pure alpha tendencies in him drove her instantly to arousal.

"Cause she's Mine, that's fucking why." He snarled out angrily, free hand roaming over her spine in a possessive manner while he looked over his men. Making sure everyone understood what was going on. Ashley pressed against him hip to hip and chest to chest, her neck bared to him as he held her up by the hair. Jason released her hair to pat her hip, another possessive gesture and she stays where he left her as he goes back to the table before them. Ashley glancing around, making damn sure her eyes are as stoic as she can make them before turning and going back to stand at Jason's side.

"We got to figure out who did it, Mack get the forensics team on it." Mack nodded to Jason, already had his phone out and texting like mad to numbers. "I need my sellers to keep a watch out, make sure all our customers are happy." A larger group of men and older teens nodded at the orders, knowing what Jason meant. "Arsenal is on his way, I want a team of guys going around and making sure all my girls are safe. Posted bodyguards if need be." A few groans sounded. "I'll give bonuses to whoever volunteers for round the clock watchers." The grumbles stopped instantly. "That's what I fucking thought."

"Did you drop off our little love note?" Jason stood and walked a few steps to the side to look at a fresh map taped onto the wall. Dots placed where the girls went missing, where they were picked up by the GPD and paramedics, the hospital across this side of the city where they were pronounced dead officially. His arms crossing as he studied the map, the inside of his helmet scanning any and all possible routes from one point to another.

Mack chuckled darkly and Ashley turned her head as the older man rubbed his hands together. "Oh yeah, should have been found about now. The cops'll think it's the italians but the russians will know it's from us." Jason nodded.

"Good, be on watch the next few days. They might retaliate or they might want to talk." Jason kept looking at the map while everyone followed his orders, many of them leaving to go for different jobs. Mack on the phone with people as he got their small forensics team on site. They might operate out of an old church, but Jason had a lot of people who he didn't need to buy off so he could stay hidden, in addition to that, some of his guys worked for him to look into things instead of covering things up.

Roy walked through the doors, green trucker hat on his head and in full padded suit as he walked over to Jason. The Hood didn't even glance up as Roy took in the developing map and the papers strewn over the table. He gave Ashley a gentle pat on the cheek making her tinge pink in a bit of shock, before standing side by side with Jason and crossing his arms. They talked for a few moments about what was going on, Ashley heard her name a few times but they never once acknowledge her presence standing a yard away so she didn't ask what they were talking about.

It could have been half an hour before anyone else came up to Red Hood and Arsenal, when they did, it was Mack and he didn't look happy. He whispered something to Jason, Jason had him repeat it, and then he went still. After a moment he moved to whisper something harsh into Roy's ear and the red head paused, nodded curtly and stood straighter. Roy not so gently took Ashley's elbow and started to lead her out of the church. Her gaze confused as Jason just stood there and let Roy take her out of there. She didn't fight the hold on her, didn't want to make a scene, but Roy didn't seem the type to grab and take what he wanted.

Once outside, Ashley flicked her arm to get Roy to release her, but she didn't count on Roy's much stronger body. He didn't even flinch, he just kept a steady grip on her elbow until making it to his parked bike. Giving a little push toward his bike Roy raised an eyebrow as Ashley glared at him instead of getting on.

"What's going on?"

"Get on the bike Dodge."

"No"

"Dammit, get on the bike Dodge." He glared, gaze flickering to the men posted out front and getting a front row seat as the two argued. Roy leaned forward some as if he was growling into her face. "Get on, now. Not safe." Ashley froze, muttered under her breath and climbed onto the seat behind Roy.

"You guys need cars you know that? This cold air is fucking up my hair." Her voice was louder and carried to the men posted by the door, they smirked and chuckled under their breaths while Roy started his bike and sped away.


	28. Chapter 28

Ashley wasn't exactly okay with Roy man handling her like he had been, and then doing the same thing as he led her to his and Kori's apartment. When Jason would grab her up like that, it sent a thrill up her spine, Roy seemed to illicit that same reaction but it wasn't Jason. Ashley didn't like that she felt the same way when Roy grabbed her, it cinfused the blonde. When the lift opened to the living room, she finally ripped her arm away from Roy's grip.

"What the fuck Roy?!" He only rolled his eyes and pulled off his heavy red overcoat.

"They found something bad and Jason wants you nowhere near it." Ashley lowered her hand she had been pointed at him and paused.

"Something bad?" Roy nodded and spun his hat around on his red curly hair to lay backwards, so he could see her clearly. "Like what?"

"Like Joker laughing toxin mixed with coke bad." Roy watched as she stumbled to the side and clung to the back of a chair, eyes wide as she blankly looked at him. "Yeah, that bad." Roy sat down in a chair at the island and crossed his muscled arms over the counter top in front of him.

"Shouldn't...shouldn't he be in Arkham? No one brought him up I just... I just assumed he was already dead in this timeline..." Ashley mumbled more to herself than actually asking the question out loud but Roy heard her all the same. Confusion contorting his face as he watches her finally lose her balance from the shock and sit heavily in the chair.

"No, he escaped about a year ago, but hasn't been seen since." Ashley furrowed her brow and Roy watched as she thought in her mannerisms. Her fingers acting like she was counting and then she'd shake her head, close her eyes, thinking on something difficult.

"Okay, so he's been gone this whole time, he hasn't tried to get to Batman... Where's Harley?"

"Harley's dead Ashley, has been for a while now." Ashley jerked her chin up, eyes wide so Roy continued. "Jason went after Joker, Harley took the bullets and Joker lived. They carted him to Arkham and Harley to a grave." He watched as emotions played over Ashley's face. She suddenly sits up.

"He knows Jason is the Hood," Roy raised an eyebrow. "Red Hood killed Harley! Joker doesn't give two shits about Batman right now! He wants the Hood." Roy sat up some more.

"This is too calm for the Joker Ashley, seriously it's probably someone who bought the toxins.."

"Don't give me that shit, Roy, Jason would not have had you haul my ass out of there unless he thought I was in some serious potential danger." Roy had to give it to her, she wasn't just a pretty face.

"You're smart..." Ashley rolled her eyes at Roy and stood again, unable to hold still as she started to pace. A million scenarios running through her mind, she hadn't encountered this in any of her comics. Harley's death was just so outlandish. She didn't know if things here were set in stone or if this was a mesh of everything put together that she knew and didn't know. Her head hurt.

Ashley kept up her pacing and her hands were in her hair as she did so, Roy sort of looked on in fascination as she mumbled to herself. Kori came from the bedroom, sleep rumpled and floating in air as she came to Roy's side, curious about the shouting and movements. "Why is she pacing like that?"

"The girls who went missing were killed, overdosed on a mix consisting of Joker's laugh toxin, Jason had me 'haul her ass her' and .. well, there ya go." Roy gestured to the pacing blonde, watching her ass move more then actually paying attention to her. Kori raised an eyebrow at her lover and shook her head, instead adjusting her position to almost standing and floating over to the pacing woman.

"Ashley, would you like something to eat?" The blonde stopped, eeped out and clutched a hand to her chest. Completely startled. Roy snorted a laugh at the way she blushed and jumped. He mumbled something like, some gangster you're turning out to be, and Kori shot him a look as she was the only one who heard him.

"Yeah... Yeah I'm actually really hungry.." Ashley had composed herself and was now tugging off her heavy dark coat to hang on the seldom used hooks. Kori trailed a hand down Ashley's spine, gently tangling her fingers into the blonde long silken tresses. "Kori.."

"I will stop if you ask me to." Ashley nodded but didn't respond, instead took the offered hand Kori held out to her and led her into the kitchen where Roy was leisurely sitting on his bar-stool and watching them. Kori led Ashley to the next bar-stool and had her sit, lowering herself to sit on the counter on the open side of Ashley.

"You know, Jay can handle himself, Dodge." Roy turned to face her and leaned his elbow on the counter top to hold his chin in his hand to watch her.

"I know... but...can he face Joker?" Roy snorted again. "No seriously, he's facing the man who killed him."

"Yeah, and?" Roy raised an eyebrow at the blonde with the white stripe in her hair. "Look, Jason had come close to killing the fucker more than once. Every time the Bat comes in and stops him. He won't stop trying until the clown is dead. He already got the bitch, one down one to go." Ashley shakes her head and groans.

"You don't get it do you?" She turns in the stool to cover her eyes with her hands. "He killed Harley, Harley, the one person that was ever completely loyal to the Joker. He took that away, Joker is going to be so much worse now... I know it... In every single series she was his rock. He abused the fucking shit out of her but she was his rock." Ashley looks up into Roy's face. "He's out for blood this time. The joker never wanted to just kill, well he did, but he wanted chaos more than anything. He's always wanted good people to turn on each other and to watch the world burn down around him. Now? Now hes out for fucking blood... Jason's on the god damn top of the list..."

Roy looked at her for several long moments before abruptly standing and going to the lift, yanking his coat as he goes. "Where are you going?" Kori stood at Roy's quick departure.

"To make sure the Red Hood doesn't fall face fucking first into a trap." He vanished as the lift pulled him down and the sound of his bike roaring down the street faded.

Kori sat her feet on the ground and looked at the closed cage doors of the lift for a moment before turning to Ashley. "You know many things Ashley, don't you?"

Ashley sighs and nods, leaning back to covering her eyes over the counter and letting her hair sort of shield her from everything for a moment. "Most of it's useless but... god-dammit I had hoped this world's Joker was fucking dead!" Kori raises and eyebrow as Ashley lets out a small feral sounding growl and pulls at her hair some. "Jason can't face him alone, he can't."

Kori reaches out and gently pries Ashley's hands from her own hair, holds them to her chest and leans her head forward so Ashley looks into her vivid green eyes. "He does not face anything alone any longer Ashley, he has Roy and myself, and now he has you." Kori lifted one hand and cupped the blonde's cheek soothingly, her hand warm on Ashley's flesh.

Ashley snorts out a dark laugh and looks away to the side. "Yeah, me, fat load of good I am right now. I can't even fight, I'm shit with a gun..."

"So you learn. We all have skills we were not born with. Some things come more naturally then others. We'll teach you." Kori doesn't get an actual response, instead she leans forward and hugs Ashley to her chest. Holding the blonde in her arms to sooth her worried trembles.

Ashley calms herself after a long time being held by the overly warn tameranian girl and sighs, pulling back to take a deep breath once more. Kori reaches out and cups the girls chin in her hand to wipe at the stray tear that fell from her eye. "You are much to beautiful to be crying Ashley." Kori gives a bright smile and it's contagious, causing Ashley to smirk and a small laugh to bubble in her throat at how worried she had been acting. This world was different than she expected yes but, Jason was good at wheat he did. He'd be fine.

"Now, still hungry?" Ashley nods .

"Starving."

The Red Hood stood silently on the roof of the small hospital his working girls had been pronounced dead in, he'd sneaked into the morgue and saw for himself the horror of the Joker's toxins. Their faces looked terrified, smiles so wide their lips had started to rip apart at the corners and wide eyes filled with red, the irises filled with popped blood vessels. Reports said their internal organs shut down before their brains. It hadn't been quick, they'd most likely suffered for hours on end before dying. Jason gripped his hands into fists at his sides.

Footsteps, so quiet an untrained ear wouldn't hear them, sounded and Jason tilted is head to find Batman and Robin standing a few yards from him. Of course, his helmet had a sonar on the bottom of the screen, making sure any and all surrounding noise was recorded and he knew if someone was coming up behind him. Jason pulled the files he'd swiped from the girls corpses and tossed it to Robin. Damian's hands catching the papers before they flew out of the manila folder.

"He's back." Jason growled low in his throat and turned back to watching the city skyline be covered in snow once more. It was fucking cold out here.

"They were healthy.." Bruce sounded surprised causing Jason to scoff, whipped his helmet covered face to the bat before him and narrowed his gaze behind it.

"Yeah, they all are. None of them use either. Healthcare, birth control, all of it provided." Bruce looked taken aback, just a tiny fraction of a twitch of lip. It was enough that Jason knew Bruce hadn't expected that from the drug king his son had become. Jason may be a fucking bastard, an asshole and a slew of other rotten things, but he took care of his own. An unhappy whore was a stealing whore, a happy whore kept everyone happy. Simple.

"They went missing last night, my guys found them this morning here." He turned to look over his shoulder while Damian glanced over the reports, little frown on the teen's lips as he read over the pages.

"Have you had any contact whatsoever?" Bruce asked, arms crossed. Not a trace fo light refracted off of his armored chest plates or cape.

"You think I'd be having this conversation with ya if i had? No, I haven't heard from him or seen a sign of the fucker in the entire city." He hadn't, and he'd been waiting for the day since the bastard had escaped Arkham. But it's been so quiet, eating away at Jason's sanity from waiting on a sign. Now two of his charges were dead. Wether that was a clear sign that the Joker knew who he was under the hood, or if it was random, Jason knew this was coming.

"Any other instances?"

"Had a pusher try to invade my territory the same night, also tried to rape one of my girls. I sent him back to his employer, along with his burned out shell of a car." Bruce's brow furrowed under the cowl, Jason rolled his eyes.

"Guy was a convicted rapist on the run, and had charges for child pornography. So yeah, one less in the city."

"And two more will pop up Hood." Bruce responded, Jason only rolled his eyes behind the hood once more. He knew he was right, Bruce's no kill rule was only filling up the jails and letting some of the fuckers out on parole because the city didn't have room.

"I don't need this.." Jason walked to the edge of the roof, prepared to leave. Already fed up with Bruce's disapproving looks behind the cowl and Damian's glares.

"We'll keep a lookout, for anymore instances of this m.o." He was about to leap off the roof to the fire escape across the alley.

"How is she?" Jason paused, glanced over his shoulder at them. The red of the helmet gleaming darkly in the low city lights.

"She's great, she's safe. Don't worry about her." Jason turned and jumped, using arms and feet to self propel himself down the three stories and to the alley below where his bike sat waiting on him. He hated asking for help, but the one person who had a grip on the Joker's movements, would be Batman.

Roy met him five blocks back into Outlaw turf. His own bike swerving to roam over the street beside Jason's. Once back at the chapel Jason sat on his bike for a moment, roy peeling back his hat, leaning on the handlebars with his elbows as he loved over at the Hood. "Dodge has a theory and I'm pretty fuckin' sure she's goddamn genius..."

"Theory?" Jason stepped off the Bike, motioned for his men to head inside that had been congregating at the door and Arsenal followed beside him.

"We know it's the clown, he doesn't share his toys. but she made a good point." Roy crossed his arms as they stepped toward the pulpit. The wood splintered and dusty with misuse.

"Which is?" Jason was curious, with Ashley's mixed knowledge of their world, if she knew something that could happen.

"You killed Harley last year..." Jason raised an eyebow at Roy, he red head couldn't see it under the mask, but he knew. "What happens when you destroy the one thing keeping a crazy man from really going off the deep end..?"

"Fuck.." Jason threw his head back and looked at the ceiling for a few long moments. Neither he nor Roy had really thought about that angle. Mostly because the Joker had always been so abusive and brutal with Harley, they never figured the clown actually cared for her. But if what Ashley thought was true, then Joker was out for blood. He wasn't playing games and this was just the beginning of whatever hell the clown was about to raise.

For the next six hours the Hood and Arsenal created contingency plans, made sure every man of the outlaws knew what to do in several different scenarios. They made sure all the girls stayed in groups, had at least one guard with them at all times, mandatory drop offs to apartments and all pushers were to be on high alert for any and all strange activities from other sellers. Jason and Roy took a a moment to head to the back room considered the office, and spoke in murmurs about how to keep Kori and Ashley safe through all this. Kori may be alien and stronger, have lasers and star bolts at her disposal, but she was still mortal and still very easy to shoot with a gun from behind. Ashley...

"We're on high alert until further notice, get the fuck out of here." Jason and Roy went to their bikes as snow started to fall heavy once more over the dirty streets. Temperatures dropping as they sped off into the night.


	29. Chapter 29

Jason and Roy came up the lift of Roy's apartment, the cage door sliding open sounded through the dim lit place. When the lights were all off, usually that meant Kori and Roy were asleep, and the lamp by the television was the only thing lighting up the space besides the glow of the tv. Jason peeled off his hood and mask, rubbing his face and pinching the bridge of his nose as he and Roy made their way over to the kitchen space. Headaches were constant for him.

"Want a beer?" Roy asked and Jason nodded as he slumped into a stool, mind heavy making his body feel like it was full of lead. The cold bottle touched his fingertips and Jason tipped it back, swallowing more than half of it and really wishing it was heavier stuff, but he'd long since swore off going to drink when things got bad. It got you in trouble. Jason had enough trouble on his plate.

They sat in silence for awhile and let the beer ease the blood that had been boiling in their veins all night long. Jason finally looked around and didn't see Ashley or Kori in sight. His boots picking him up to walk around the side of the couch and he smiled at what he found. Motioned for Roy to come over to see how the women were curled up on the couch. Jason sipped the last dregs of his beer and held the bottle in his hand for a moment, head tilted and his hair falling in his face.

Kori was laying on her back longways on the big couch, eyes closed in sleep and orange red hair over the arm touching the floor in its soft waves. Her arms were over Ashley's back and waist as the blonde lay over Kori's chest and stomach, their legs tangled together and a small throw blanket over their feet as Kori's high body temperature keeps anyone near her pretty warm by default. Both of them dozing snuggled up together in the television and lamp glow. Jason sits in the large easy chair, body heavy and the cushions sink some under his weight, Roy doesn't even think before sitting cross-ways on Jason's thighs and leaning his shoulder against Jason's own.

Jason's hand reached up to tousle through Roy's thick red curls and they both closed their eyes for a minute. They hadn't been intimate in awhile, what with Bruce's near constant begging for Jason to turn a blind eye and come back to the Bat family, the League on their asses to change their act and everything else happening now with Ashley and the now the Joker. Jason hadn't lied when he said he hadn't had a good lay in a long time, he'd been avoiding Roy and Kori, trying to let them be together for awhile without him. But he missed it, there's a sense of really feeling like he belonged when it was with the both of them. He loved being with them, even when not sexually, they felt like home.

"Jay?" Roy mumbled from his shoulder and Jason kept his eyes closed, head tilted back to lay over the well worn cushion of the chair. He hummed though and Roy took that as a sign to ask what he wanted. "Have you thought about coming back?" Jason let out a soft breath, a long exhale through his nose and his chest deflates as he does so.

"Yeah.." Jason opened his eyes to look at the ceiling for a moment, counting the beams traveling width wise across before tilting it back down to the vibrant green eyes of Roy against his shoulder. "I want to.."

"There's a 'but' in there." Roy rose an eyebrow.

"But, with Ashley... I... I don't know how to bring it all up to her you know?" Roy shifted some to look more at Jason and grunted when Jason pinched through Roy's chest plate to his skin.

"Look, I get it, you really like her and I'm betting she's just fantastic in bed too. But Jay.. We miss you.." Roy reached up to brush Jason's hair from his forehead, palm gently moving down the side of Jason's face.

"I know... I miss you guys too... so fucking much..." Jason leans forward and his lips melt into Roy's, the both of them grasping at hair and broad chests as tongues battle for dominance. It's always a pretty even match with the both of them, though Jason will always play dirty to win. Like trailing his hand down Roy's taut stomach and abdomen to grip him over his pants, giving Jason the leverage to have Roy submit to his teeth and tongue.

"Will you be silent?" Kori's hissing voice cause them both to break apart and breath heavy as they glanced over to the red head on the couch. Ashley was still very sound asleep but she groaned and snuggled closer to the alien woman, pressing her cheek between Kori's breasts. Kori rose an eyebrow at the two males , her gaze lust blown but she stayed still and cuddles Ashley to her chest instead. Enjoying for once the feel of another woman against her instead of the hard planes and muscles of males.

Jason only grinned, nipped at the soft skin behind Roy's ears and held the other man's hips still to rut up against Roy from beneath. "It's so hard.." Roy grunted, feeling excatly what was hard on Jason's person and his hips rocked, his own pants growing tighter in the groin.

"Fuck, Jason stop.." Roy's voice was breathless and it came out as a whisper but Jason didn't, not a minute at least. He kept rocking up into Roy's ass and thighs, hand palming over Roy's cock over his pants. His teeth nipped and bit against Roy's neck and the red head threw his head back, Jason's other hand quickly covering Roy's mouth to stifle the deep groan Roy tried to let out.

"Shhhhh..." Jason whispered to Roy's ear, hand moving over the red head's belt to sink through his jeans. Roy groans deeply again through Jason's hand as he gripped Roy's cock in his fist, stroking over the hard length of it. "Fuck, Harper..." Jason looked over to the couch to find Kori's eyes wide and lust blown, watching him give Roy a hand job in the chair across from her, trapped under the sleeping form of Ashley.

Kori shifted her hips under Ashley, aching to relieve the coiling tension between her thighs as she watched Roy and Jason. Roy's hands were gripping the arms of the chair, hips gyrating along with Jason's hand inside his pants. The both of them still dressed in full armor save their masks. Jason's other hand reaching to unbutton Roy's pants and unzip them, giving the dark haired man more leverage to really work at Roy's cock. The alien caught on the couch bit her lip at watching the two of them, her breathing a little faster and the hand toward the edge of the couch was gripping the bottom of the couch tightly.

Eyes closed, Jason gripped Roy, yanked down the red head's pants enough to free his cock and then really started to stroke. His free hand palming Roy's abdomen, pressing down and keeping him pinned to Jason's lap as Jason rutted against his ass and stroked him. Kori glances down at movement from her chest, Ashley is wide eyed and clutching to Kori's sides. Her teeth bitten between her lips and there's a very subtle shift of the girl's hips around one of Kori's thighs. Kori doesn't even think about it, jerking the blonde up by her armpits to kiss roughly, hands pinning Ashley's shorter frame against her own warmer one while the girl squirmed and bucked in surprise before falling still and moaning at Kori's kisses.

Jason's eyes flash open at hearing the moan of Ashley's, her body smushed against Kori and he groans into Roy's neck. Hand pumping faster and harder on Roy's cock as they both watch Kori make out with a sleepy eyed Ashley. The blanket had fallen away and Ashley wasn't wearing anything but her sweater, lace panties and calf high socks. Her creamy skin a very stark contrast to Kori's deep, near orange skin tone. Roy was close, the way he was whimpering pathetically and rocking against Jason's lap.

"Hold it. Easy... easy..." Jason whispers to Roy's ear and he hears as well as fells the man moan out and shake his head, squirming on Jason's lap for release. "Come on now, wouldn't you rather cum in Kori?" Roy breathed heavy, murmuring out slow curses as Jason's hand slowly pulled Roy back from the brink of release.

They both watch with rapt attention as Kori finally released Ashley's lips, the blonde gasping for breath but Kori doesn't relent. Hot lips trace over Ashley's neck and shoulder while Kori's hands find the snap of Ashley's bra, and rip it clean in half, including the girls sweater. Ashley gasps, face blushing deep red. Then her back is suddenly on the couch, hair in her face and falling to the side to the floor while Kori kisses over and around Ashley's bared breasts.

"Fuck, Jason..." Roy coughs, trying to even his breath as Kori slinks further down Ashley's chest to her stomach.

"I know Roy... I know..." Jason groans, gently fondling Roy's cock as they watched Kori get lower and lower until her teeth found Ashley's panties and those too were ripped from the blonde's body.

Ashley's finally gasped, her eyes finding Jason's across the small amount of space and she blushed a shade deeper of red. Embarrassment pure on her features and her reaction was to try to close her legs and cover her nudity. But Kori's hands found her own and pinned them above her head on the cushions of the wide couch.

"Why do you pull away?" Ashley looked up into Kori's kind, lust filled eyes and shook her head, unable to find a viable reason why she was so red in the face and wanted to hide her body. "I will never truly understand why earthlings are so shy to share their bodies with multiple partners." She kept Ashley's hands pinned however and instead leaned down to trail kisses over her neck and chin to calm the blonde.

"I, I just.." Ashley starts but Kori shushes her with lips melting to her own for a moment, making sure Ashley is too breathless to respond again for a moment.

"Would you feel less exposed... If Jason was in my place?" Ashley paused and glanced over at the two men, finding them lip locked. Roy turned around and stradling Jason's thick thighs and Jason's hand down the backside of Roy's opened pants. Her thighs clenched and she groaned out softly between her lips. She was torn between watching and asking for Jason herself. But Kori's hands and lips were so gentle on her skin...

"Do you trust me?" Kori asked softly, and Ashley's gaze left Kori's to look over at Jason. He opened his eyes from devouring Roy's mouth and tongue, giving her a heavy wink before focusing back on Roy's kisses and the rocking motions of his hips. How the fuck the two of them were fitting in that chair she will never figure out.

"Yes.." Ashley mumbled, Kori kissed the corner of her lips and sat up, reaching down to find the remnants of Ashley's sweater. Kori reaches to Ashley and wraps the arm of the sweater around Ashley's head to obscure her vision. When its nice and snug, Kori retraces the path she made moments ago, headed between Ashley's thighs and gently prying her knees open to reveal the arousal slicking up Ashley's inner thighs.

Jason watched from the chair for a few moments. But he'd had enough of trying to move in the small space, Roy's constant rutting hips driving him mad and now as Kori sunk her mouth between Ashley's thighs, he had enough. Wrapping his strong arms around Roy's lower back and under his thighs, Jason stood with Roy wrapping his own legs around Jason's hips. When Kori flicked her eyes to Jason's movements, the blue eyed man jerked his head toward the hall to the bedroom and Kori nodded.

Kori took no notice to Ashley's gasp, only grinned behind her hair as the blonde clung to her as Kori picked her up and floated to the bedroom. Roy was busy trying to yank his pants off, without taking off his boots. Kori rolled her eyes and spied Jason already lounging back on the mass of pillows. The bed was huge. A double king and the kind that could sleep six people comfortably. Jason opened his arms and motioned for Kori to bring him Ashley and she did, settling Ashley between Jason's open thighs as he sat back against the pillows and headboard.

"Shhh, shh." Jason whispered as he pulled Ashley to his chest, her back against him as he wrapped his arms around her middle. She was tense, so his hands gentled her, tracing over her sides and hips, up and down her thighs then over her stomach. She could hear heavy breathing that wasn't hers or Jason's, it was Roy and Kori. The both of them rutting like feral wolves on the other side of the bed.

"I got you.." He whispers into her ear and she melts against him. Utterly trustful and for once Jason doesn't think that's very smart of her, at all. But he doesn't focus on that, instead tracing the swell of her breasts and letting his hips rock gently against her backside. His cock is straining at her lower back, and he's pretty desperate to sink deep inside of her or any of them at this point. But he's got to go easy, or else Ashley will bolt. And he wants this to work, he wants this to work so badly. He needs it to work.

"Jay.." She whimpers, and his fingers creep down to between her legs. Silencing any protest she could make up by slowly sinking two fingers deep into her pussy. Her back arches and instead of saying his name in a scared and questioning way, she moans it out, wanting more.

"There we go, relax... I got you.." His teeth find her ear and the soft skin below, rolling with her every time she arches or twists her back. Slowly bringing her up then back down, constantly on the edge and then back to calmness. He liked playing with her body, seeing how much teasing she could take before she snapped and demanded he fuck her to release.

Roy came up to Ashley's side and he looked to Jason for permission, he could see Roy's hands twitch at the thought of touching Ashley. He nodded but mouthed to the red head to go slow, they didn't want to spook the only other woman they'd let into their bed. Kori instead came up on the other side, her lips on Jason's shoulder and neck, hand trailing up and over the hard planes of his stomach and abs, just skirting his cock before back up again. Gentle and teasing but not enough to drive him over any edge, just touching.

Hands touched Ashley's legs and she stiffened, Jason's hands were between her legs and the other on her lower belly to keep her pinned tight against his waist, his cock pressed against her back. These were not Jason's hands and they weren't Kori's either because she could feel Kori's long soft hair ticking her other side, Kori was by Jason so Roy was touching her, palms and fingers gently trailing over her legs. Slowly but surely spreading her legs wider with every touch, Ashley's face growing redder and her whimpers turning louder as Jason picked up his pace. Bringing her to the edge but still not pushing her over.

"Korr... you got that blindfold close by?" Jason kisses Kori's lips, biting into her bottom lip gently and the alien nods, reaching to the nightstand. A few seconds of vibrations erupt, Ashley tenses and Jason feels her cunt clench around him tightly, then the sounds stop and Kori comes back with a silk blindfold. The kind that had a small buckle on the back so it's snug on the wearer and won't easily slip off. "Here doll, keep your eyes closed?"

Ashley nods and lets the torn sweater be removed from her tangled hair, Kori's hands reach out to smooth the blonde tresses, fondly touching the white stripe before securing the blindfold to Ashley's head. Her heart rate a mile a minute, Jason's voice so sweet in her ear and Roy's lips ghosted over the inside of her knee. "Breath sweetling.." Kori murmured softly in Ashley's other ear in a language she definitely would never understand while Roy's lips kept moving closer and closer to her entrance, all the while Jason never let up her slow ministrations at her clit.

Shifting his hips some to sit up further, Kori reached down to slowly stroke over his dick, every stroke would rub Kori's knuckles against Ashley's lower spine. Finally Kori spotted the ink in black, red and cream on the blonde's lower back and she leaned in further to get a closer look for moment before she was sidetracked by a deep gasp from Ashley's lips. Roy's head was buried between her thighs, her back arching and thighs trembling, heels digging into the covers on the bed. Kori reached out to grip Ashley's free hand, the other one buried deep in Roy's thick red curls.

"Doesn't she taste fuckin' amazin'?" Jason groaned, Roy's only response was a mumbled curse against Ashley's folds, her lips whispering whines and sharp gasps. Roy hadn't shaved in a few days, the bristly reddish hair sprouting from his jaw and cheeks was a pleasurable burn on the soft skin of Ashley's inner thighs.

"This okay?" Jason asked Ashley, Kori's free hand was lightly touching and caressing Ashley's breasts, the blonde nipples hard and aching. Ashley nods, timidly releasing Kori's hand that she had been holding and blindly reached for the inside of Kori's thigh. Slowly petting the alien woman's inner thigh and finding her much hotter slick between Kori's legs.

"Take it off... take it off.." Ashley asks suddenly and Jason raises both hands to gently tug the blindfold from Ashley's face. Her head tilted and she whined until Jason shifted more forward and to the side so he could latch his lips onto Ashley's own. Drowning her in kisses, holding her in place as she suddenly arches her back, low whimpering moans spilling from her throat and silenced in his mouth as she cums suddenly.

Roy's head lifts from between her legs, slick coated over his chin and lips. His eyes darker than ever, staring at the three people in front of him. He reaches out as he half crawls, half hovers over Ashley's still trembling form, leaning over to kiss Kori. Ashley's taste coated on his tongue and move to Kori's lips and mouth. Jason spins Ashley around and to the bed, her back hitting the plush blankets that get more rumpled with every move the four of them make. His teeth latch onto her nipple, suckling harshly for a moment before groaning and rutting against her gently, coating his cock in his juices but refraining from entering her. Not yet.

Jason grunts lowly.."Roy, condoms..." Blindly, Kori reaches over to the drawer she opened a moment ago, finding a foil pack and handing one to Jason while she herself flips over Roy and mounts him without a single thought to a condom. Her back arching as Roy grips her hips and keeps her still against him to savor the feeling. Jason rolls on the condom, grabs Ashley up in his arms and sinks into her pussy. Her back curves prettily over the covers as her tight walls clamp down on him, still sensitive from her orgasm a minute before.

Grinning over at Roy, Jason gives a hard thrust into Ashley and locks eyes with the red head. "Race ya?" Roy gives a smirk, flips the alien woman down onto the bed beside Ashley, shoulder to shoulder. Gold and red hair meshing together on the pillows.

"Prize?" Roy asks giving a few slow thrusts into Kori, the green eyed woman sighs and reaches above her head to grip the headboard posts, hips languidly rutting back against Roy's while Ashley is barely holding it together, biting her lip and grasping at the sheets beside her.

"Two orgasms, not including our own.." Jason takes a moment to grunt and thrust harsh once more into Ashley, making them both sigh softly before going back to barely moving. "Loser fucks the other." Roy's eyes glistened with mischief and a lot of competition...

"Oh my god! Just fuck already!" Ashley's voice shouts breathlessly from beneath Jason and he smirks darkly over at Roy, a lustful hint to his gaze.

"You heard the lady..."


	30. Chapter 30

Roy woke first. He usually did, his old penchant to walk the streets, make some cash by stealing or other work, spend it on drugs. That was before, before Kori and Jason found him lying in a gutter, mumbling about heroin and shaking like a leave in the fall winds. Half frozen to the sidewalk in his own vomit and urine. That was more than a few years ago. Now, now he still woke at dawn, but it was to usually make coffee, get ready for the day and do his morning training routine. He had to work a little harder, to even keep up with Jason's strength and speed.

When Roy woke it was to Kori smushed up against his side, her leg thrown over his hip and her head on his shoulder. Roy's own head and neck were cradled on Jason's thigh and hip, Jason's hand gently held Roy's thick red curls in his fist in sleep. Ashley was on top of Jason almost, chest and shoulders on Jason's, her arms around his neck and her hair fanning out over her back. He felted satiated, he felt warm, he felt calm. No itch for drugs or a smoke. Well, maybe a smoke. But a cigarette and not a crack pipe. He pulled Kori more against him and kissed the crown of her head, her tangled mass of orange red curls fanning over his chest and shoulders. Even her hair had a warmth to it.

Jason was awake but barely, his fingertips gently massaging Roy's scalp into the curls there. God, he'd missed this, missed Jason here with them, being with them. He loved Kori, he really did, but Jason made everything.. better. He made it whole, he made it a little less lonely then it just being him and Kori. And Kori loved Jason just as much, loved him here just as much as Roy did. Ashley was just a bonus, seeing as how Jason openly shared her with them and she didn't object to any of it. Just nerves, like any other woman when confronted with three other adults in bed. She'd fallen into place with them easily, keeping up the pace and showing beyond a doubt, that she fir in their dynamic.

Slowly, Roy parted himself from Kori, softly nudging the alien to Jason's side in her half sleep while Roy stood and went to make coffee. Tugging on sweatpants and socks, fuck his floors were cold, and standing in the doorway for a moment to watch them all doze before he moved to the kitchen. Smile on his lips as he stood at the counter and waited for the scent of the caffeine to permeate the large apartment and fully wake the other three snuggled into the bedroom.

Jason came first, rubbing sleep from his eyes and wearing a pair of his own black sweatpants from the drawer in the dresser, bare chested and dark hair covering his face. His hand to his neck, scratching as Roy handed him a mug or steaming brew, Jason kissed Roy's jaw before slumping into a stool. The both of them sitting and leaning against the other's shoulders as they sipped and tried to wake up, bodies tired and achy. But a nice kind of ache.

"She's somethin'.." Roy started softly and he felt Jason's shoulder tense a fraction against his own.

"Yeah.. she is.." Jason sipped his coffee and kept his eyes closed, thinking harder than he should at this early hour. Knowing what Roy was going to ask.

"Is she gonna be okay with this or..?"

Jason paused before answering. "I got no fucking clue Roy... I really don't... That's for her to chose, not me." He sounded unsure, unlike Jason Todd. Roy nodded and went back to his coffee, his stomach growling prompting him to stand and look into the fridge for something to eat for breakfast. Fridge was empty.. fuck.

"What am I doing Roy?" Jason murmured from his coffee mug, blankly staring at the opposite wall of the apartment where his and Roy's bikes sat on the tiled floor square in front of the door. His hands curling around the mug back and forth, his toes cold against the rungs of the wooden stool he sat on. "What am I doing with a girl like her? Why did I even agree to watch her... keep her with me?"

Roy sat back beside Jason, hand reaching out to grip Jason's forearm and squeeze gently for comfort. Rarely did he see Jason like this, soft voiced and contemplative. "I... I don't want her hurt, you know? But I... I think about taking her to Bruce and... It riles me up inside, like I can't stand to see her away from me either... It's like the pit, clawing at my chest." Jason takes his hands away from the mug and tangles them in his hair for a moment. "She's not like Kori... She's.. She's fuckin' fragile man... I can make her strong, I can train her to protect herself and fuck, you should have seen her when I questioned that pusher, she didn't even flinch... What if i change who she is though? I don't..."

"You don't want her to what, Jay? Be like us? Fall from perfection because we can't keep up with the morals of the hypocrites in the League? Because we're only human and humans make mistakes?" Jason shakes his head. "Jay, come on, you and I both know, if she wants to leave you would take her to Bruce or the League and that would be the end of it. You're not gonna keep her against her will."

Jason let go of his hair and turned to Roy, seeking comfort for once and Roy gave it. Pressing his forehead to Jason's and wrapping his arms around Jason's broad shoulders to hold him against his chest. "You're worried she's gonna get hurt, and you're already taking the blame and the guilt for something that hasn't even happened yet." Jason only nodded against Roy's neck and held on.

"You can't stop her from getting hurt, she's gonna get hurt at some point by someone, Jay. We can't stop that. What we can prevent for as long as we can, is her getting hurt by her own weakness, we'll make her strong as we can and she'll be fine." Roy chuckled softly after a moment. "Pretty sure Kori will fly in screaming like an alien banshee if Ashley ever got cornered anyways, she's crazy about her."

Jason and Roy stayed there for a long time, finally Jason sighed and sat up straighter. Roy knowing he wasn't needed for comfort anymore at the moment and let his arms fall away from Jason's shoulders. "We keep her close. Besides, you basically shouted out to everyone in the chapel that she's yours. If anything they'll protect her because you said so and in time they'll do it because they'll know she's one of us."

They went back to their coffee, instead muttering softly about what to do for breakfast and maybe going out to eat and then grocery shopping. They liked to do normal things sometimes, even if groceries were bought in corner stores ran by armenian or italian families where there were no cameras. Sometimes they'll go out, to a small park or a restaurant, they liked to do normal things every now and then. But for the most part they stayed hidden in plain sight, it was easier that way. If you were never noticed then it was harder for people to remember you.

Kori floated into the kitchen from the hall, on her back and several feet off the ground with Ashley laying on top of Kori's chest still very sleepy and refusing to wake. Somehow the alien coaxed the blonde into a cotton shirt that was far too big for her small frame. She didn't even realize she was floating until she opened her eyes and saw Jason eye level with her from across the room but he was siting on a stool. "The fuck?" Ashley went to sit up but Kori's arms turned to steel and held her against the alien's chest.

"It might be wise to hold still a moment?" Kori smirked as Ashley realized how she was in the middle of the air and she gripped Kori tightly around the rib cage, her legs bent to grip at Kori's waist.

"Down please! Down please!" Ashley cried out in fright, Jason and Roy laughing as Kori gently tilted until Ashley's feet hit the floor. Ashley then gasped at the cold tiles and instead wrapped her legs back around Kori. The alien grinned, and tilted back some, moving her legs to fold into a lotus position and Ashley sat there in Kori's lap.

"That was entertaining." Roy smirked as Ashley gave him the middle finger, still tensing as she looked down at the floor. Kori's arms wrapped around her middle and Ashley blushed pink but stayed where she was nestled in Kori's folded legs. The other three realizing Ashley had a fear of heights.

"Fuck you." Ashley spat out with a pout, Kori reaching up to stroke the blondes tangled long hair from her face. A smile on the tanned woman's lips as she petted Ashley's hair.

"Well, since you offered.." Roy made to get up and Ashley blushed redder than she had yet. Kori held the blonde close to her warm chest and chuckled at her reaction while Jasn only smirked behind his mug. Content that everyone was getting along and there were hardly any signs of nervousness in Ashley's muscles.

Roy once again went to the fridge, nothing had magically appeared and he groaned out in frustration and hunger. "So... we have a single pack of instant ramen and some questionable looking leftover pizza... Pretty sure it's colonizing that block of gouda we never finished from like August..." He made a face of disgust and once more closed the fridge, shoulders slumped.

Reaching out, Jason tugged Kori's ankle, pulling Ashley easily from the alien's grip and moving the blonde to his lap instead. Cuddling her chest to his and wrapping her legs about his waist while he kisses along her jaw and down to her throat a bit hungrily. Not as heated as he had before but close enough that Ashley nearly purrs under her breath and leans into him. "Let's get dressed.." His lips graze the little spot behind her ear. "Go out to breakfast.." His tongue flicks the shell of her ear. Ashley softly agreed with the nod of her head captured between Jason's strong hands, course she would say yes to anything right now.

"Kori, you got anything she could wear?" Roy asked the alien as they all moved back to the bedroom. Kori had to have something that didn't fit her quite right. She was much taller and had a bit more chest than Ashley did. Ashley bit her lip, neck flushed as she calmed down. Remembering her underwear and bra had been treated pretty roughly and were not clean enough to throw back on, even for a quick wear. That was gross.

"Here Ashley." Kori handed her a small bundle of clothes and gently pushed at her lower back toward a door that led into the bathroom. Once inside, Ashley stood at the sink, staring at herself in the mirror and asking herself exactly what the hell she was doing here, like Jason had asked Roy earlier.

Her reflection looked back at her and all she saw was a young woman who'd had some amazing sex the night before. There wasn't any awkward tension about any of them, her eyes looked alive and her lips are kiss swollen. There weren't any bruises on her arms or thighs like usual when it had been just Jason taking her body. Both Kori and Roy were gentle in their movements, but with Jason's hands he was possessive, animal. Wild. Though, she liked it when Jason marked her up... Her hair was tangled and she dreaded attempting to brush it's knotting locks. But in all, she looked satiated and happy.

Shaking herself from her own mind Ashley rummaged into the clothes Kori had given her, happy to see panties and a bra in a matching pale red, a pair of skinny jeans and plain grey long sleeved shirt. At the bottom of the pile were her socks from the night before and she quickly pulled on the jeans and then the socks on top of them. They fit well enough but weren't as tight as they should have fit. She was grateful for the socks though. The floors in Jason's apartment had to be heated, because the floors here were freezing. Once dressed she sighed and opened the door, her hands trying to untangle the locks of her sex knotted hair. Her shirt wide at the neckline and falling over one of her shoulders.

Arms slip around her waist, Ashley stills for a moment, the shoulders at her back aren't as tall as Jason's and just just not as broad or solid. Roy. "Hey, you okay?" He whispers in her ear and holds her in a hug from behind. Ashley nods, she felt okay...with all of it, she was just trying really hard not to over think anything that had happened already or what could happen now. Roy held her gently, just firm enough to let her know he meant his touch but she could pull away if she wanted.

Ashley leaned into his hold some, letting him know he touch wasn't unwanted at the moment. Roy's arms held tighter and he kissed the shell of her ear before letting her go and gently pushing her toward Kori. "Here Kor', do your hair magic." Roy smirked at Ashley's bewildered expression but soon found herself sat in a kitchen chair with a brush combing through her blonde locks. Jason sat across the table from her grinning as Kori combed and brushed. In moments Ashley is near asleep again with the soft pulling and tuggin on her scalp.

"There." Kori patted Ashley's shoulder but before she could even look at what Kori had done to her hair, Jason had her wrist and was tugging her toward the lift. Helping her into her coat as Roy helped Kori pulled her own long vibrant hair into the neckline of her thin winter coat, Hiding it from view. Jason could see Ashley though, and he tugged on of the braids so she could see the way the white swirled with the dark blonde.

Kori had braided Ashley's thick hair into a single french knot, from the tip of one ear across her crown to meet the other ear and back again making it look like on single braid over her forehead. The end of which fell just before her ears and downwards to end at her chest. Jason liked it, it kept the white lock from her face and her features open to view instead of hiding behind the curtain of her hair like she usually did. He chuckled her chin before slinging his arm over her shoulders and standing in the lift as the doors closed.

"Um, are we walking?" Roy chuckled at Ashley's question and shook his head.

"No honey, we're just not taking the bikes out. Too recognizable and I for one want a breakfast where we're not being shot at." Ashley visibly tensed, Jason only leaned forward and down to kiss her forehead to calm her. In turn pulling her close to his hip where the but of a very solid gun poked into her side. She relaxed completely.

"We called a town car, there's a company that doesn't mind coming into the east end as long as you pay an extra bit for insurance on the car and what not." Jason spoke as the lift stopped and the doors were opened, brisk icy air hit them. Ashley held a hand over her mouth and coughed at the sudden change in the air temperature. "Got that inhaler?" She nods, pats her coat pocket just in case it fell. He gives a smirk, his hands reaching up to pull the bill of his ball-cap lower and hide more of his features from view as they climbed into the waiting car.


	31. Chapter 31

"Jesus Christ, no wonder your taste so fuckin' sweet baby." Jason murmured softly into Ashley's ear. They were sat into a corner booth in a dingy diner, table full of plates as they devoured their breakfast. Ashley had ordered a stack of pancakes half her size and absolutely covered them in strawberries and blueberries. Slathered the plate in honey and proceeded to eat the entire fucking stack of pancakes like it was her damn job.

Ashley blushed, Jason's lips at her ear weren't in any way subtle. His hand gripped her upper thigh under the table, moving his pinkie between her legs to lightly push over the seam of her jeans. She almost dropped her fork from the sudden pressure against her clit, Roy chuckling from across the table caught her eye and winked salaciously at her. He'd noticed as well but hadn't been able to touch her like Jason was at the moment. Even with the cap covering his face, Jason's wide sultry grin was evident to the waitress as she filled their coffee mugs again before leaving.

"God, you're fucking killin' me." He groaned in a whisper into her ear, his pinkie delving deeper between her now clenched thighs, his teeth scraping at her ear.

"Man, chill out," Roy kicked Jason's shin from under the table and gave the other male a glare. Jason was nearly jumping on the poor blonde and yes, he got it, she was smokin' and anything she did made a guy rock hard and wanting. But Jason needed to chill out, they were in public. He could fuck her into oblivion when they got home, not now. Jason glanced from under his hat to the red head and glared but did pull away some from the blushing blonde.

"Are you..." Ashley cleared her throat. "..Are you usually this high strung?" Her voice was a whisper, breathy and it killed Jason a little more. His hand moved from between her legs to slide over her lower back, grasping her hip in his palm to yank her against his side more. Her hand flew down to steady herself and she froze, her fingertips grazing over the solid length of him in his jeans.

"Not usually. You're special." Roy winked again from across the table, reaching over with his fork to snag a slice of honeyed strawberry. "I think it's the eyes. What do you think babe?" Kori placed her chin in her hand and looked intensely at the blonde from her spot across from Jason.

"Agreed." Ashley just put her fork down and covered her eyes with her hands. The others laughing at her expense. Jason reached over and gripped her chin in his fingers, moving her to meet his gaze hidden from under the hat. When she did meet his eyes her breath caught and she leaned into his touch, those blue depths of his swirling and almost changing shades the longer he looked at her. His thumb moved and swiped under her bottom lip.

"Okay, fuck. Next time I sit with her, you're making goo goo eyes at her and she's not eating her breakfast." Roy wadded up the paper that had been around his plastic straw and flicked it towards Jason, hitting the man in the neck.

Jason shook his head, smirking as Ashley went back to her plate of pancakes just to get away from his heavy gaze. He knew he was intense as fuck sometimes, he couldn't help it, not with her. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and never let go. Jason forced his gaze away from Ashley, his thumb gently tracing over the skin on her hip as he went back to his own plate of eggs and sausage. His eyes flicking to the televison above the kitchen.

The sound of clattering fork mixed with a now bruising grip on Ashley's hip. Gasping out in shock at the sudden rough hand on her flesh, Ashley tore her gaze to look at Jason. His eyes were pointed to the television so she looked too. Flashing on the bottom of the screen, because the sound was off and only the subtitles were showing to what was happening on screen, were words that explained Jason's sudden change in demeanor. -Is the joker back?- -Last night there were several murders throughout all of Gotham, victims were found contorted and frozen in death. The medical examiner explains that all victims were found with the Joker's deadly laughing toxin in their systems...-

Calmly, Jason pulled out his wallet, threw down more than enough money for the check and a tip. Threaded his fingers into Ashley's hand and they exited the diner. The blonde said nothing as she pulled the hood up on her coat without being asked. Realizing the foursome were moving in the opposite direction of their apartments, keeping to the more shadowed alleys. Jason's grip was tense, but she could tell he was holding back from crushing her hand in his own with his strength. The cold caused her breathing to turn wheezy since they were walking quickly outside but she kept her free hand gripped on the inhaler in her other pocket and kept waling.

Criss crossing and seeming to go in circles, Ashley didn't know where they were headed in the slightest, all she could do was hope Jason didn't hold her hand any tighter and that they got out of the weather soon, it was becoming more difficult to breath the icy air. Soon, down an alley and hidden behind and overflowing dumpster, was a solid metal door with a card scanner. Like what you see in fancy hotels. Roy reached out and swiped his gloved palm over the plate and the door unsealed, opening for them. Ashley was ushered inside and handed off to Kori as the two males went further into the dark room. The only light was a red domed bulb in the center of the ceiling. It was quickly changed when Jason punched a code into the terminal on a metal table, the lights flickering on above them.

Metal shelving units lined the walls, armor and guns neatly piled on the shelves. "Where are we?" Kori gently urged Ashley to sit at the office chair in front of the computer, hearing the blonde wheezing slightly from the cold air.

"A hidden room attached to the chapel." Kori sat on the desk and motioned to her mouth and then back at Ashley. The blonde getting the idea and fishing for her inhaler. She hadn't had to actually use it yet but, she felt this was a good time. Flicking the cap off she shook the device, placed the opening between her lips and inhaled as she pressed the button, releasing the breathing steroid into her lungs to calm her breathing.

Ashley yelped when she felt Jason suddenly kneel at her side, his palm on the side of her neck. It took her a moment to realize he was counting her heartbeat with his fingers. His eyes searched her own and she nodded that she was alright. He didn't look convinced but he stood and went back to the shelves, trading his leather jacket for one more dark and had the red of his bat stitched into the shoulders and back.

When Jason and Roy stood in full armor plates they moved Ashley and Kori out of the way of the computer. The blonde's eyes widened as the wall behind it came to life, like a giant television screen, and a single line like a heartbeat rode across the black screen in white. It was a dial tone. After a moment the tone stopped and a line of text appeared across the screen. -Line Secure-

Ashley tensed at the face of Bruce Wayne underneath the cowl of Batman on the screen. Behind him could be seen the blinking lights of the row of computers in the Batcave. And his face was solemn, more so then usual because of the downward tug of his lips into more than a frown but not quite a scowl.

"Red Hood." Ashley felt a chill down her spine, her hand reached back and grasped Kori's for strength. The Bat was serious right now.

"I saw the news, is it true?" Jason leaned his fists onto the table and glared at the face of Batman. Free of his mask and hood, Jason was glaring up at Bruce.

"You should let us handle this." Roy took a sidestep back and to the left, Jason raised his arms up threateningly to Batman.

"And leave me with the scraps of his underlings you're too good to find and send to jail? Come on old man, you know he's mine.." The sheer venom in Jason's voice dropped so low, a rattlesnake would have tucked tail and slithered away from him.

Batman only stared behind his cowl, his gaze shifted to the left and back. Jason stood straight and pointed at the screen. Walking backwards and to the side so Ashley was no longer fully in view. "She's fine, this isn't about her Batman."

"She shouldn't be in the chapel." Jason only growled low in his throat.

"She's perfectly safe with me."

"If the League asks about her whereabouts, I won't lie to them." The line went dead and Jason stood staring at the wall all of five seconds. Then he let loose a feral snarl, his fist connecting with the table holding the computer. The force of his hit causing the metal to bend under his fist, a keyboard went flying to the floor. Several keys popped off the device as it now hung from its cord, not quite to the ground. His shoulders shook as he hunched over the table for a moment or two. Ashley took a step to go to him but Kori wrapped her longer arms around Ashley's chest and held the blonde back. Even Jason had limits, and right now he was once again teetering on the edge. Ashley didn't fight the hold on her.

Jason stood, reaching up to brush his chin length hair back across the top of his scalp and took a deep shuddering breath. When he shook out his shoulders he turned, grabbed the gun he'd set in the table and holstered it to his thigh. His lean legs moved him quickly across the floor to reach Ashley as she was released from Kori's hold. His grip on her chin was tight but without the bruising force he'd grabbed her hip with earlier.

"You're breathing good?" She nodded in answer against his fingers. Yanking her by the chin he captured her lips for a moment and then she was turned and handed off to Kori. Without a word both Jason and Roy went out another metal door leaving the women alone.

"Come, we should go." Kori gently took Ashley's hand, the blonde not taking her eyes off the door until they were back out into the cold. Her breath taken away from her again but not as harshly this time as they made their way in a different direction from the way they came into the alley.

"Not back to Ja..." She caught herself before she said it out loud. Saying Jason's name out here in the open would and could cause them trouble. They already had enough of that for the moment. "Where are we going then?"

"It has been a long while since I have seen my dear friend Rachel, let us go visit with her, yes?" Ashley blinked as Kori smiled, the alien woman tugging Ashley's hood up to cover her braided hair.

"Now? Isn't she in Bludhaven?" Kori nods, her hands texting quickly on her phone for a moment as they walk further away from the decrepit building that was the Hood's front base.

"Yes, but it is only an hour train ride from the east end." Confused, Ashley followed Kori through the unfamiliar streets of the lower east end. Neither of them fearing what could be in the shadows because Kori was an alien warrior princess and Ashley had the Hood at her back to protect her. She didn't fathom how they could travel to the neighboring city so quickly, but then remembered the fast moving trains from all the movies she'd seen over and over again.

Traversing into an underground terminal, Kori swiped a membership card and, looking around to make sure no one was watching. Simply lifted the blonde over the spinning bars and placed her back on her feet before the platform end. The alien gently took Ashley's hands in her own to ease some the trembling the blonde was having. "We'll be fine."

"It's not me I'm worried about." Ashley murmured to the red head as the train pulled up and they boarded. Kori frowned beneath her faded green ball cap. She too worried for Jason and Roy, they got into some dangerous things and situations. But she was much more used to the feeling than Ashley was.


	32. Chapter 32

Ashley was very surprised with how fast the under and above ground trains moved in Gotham. It was crazy, how she could look out the window and only really see a blur of the city as it moved past them. She wondered where the technology was in her world, the subways in New York weren't this fast, at all. The day looked dreary and overcast, the threat of yet another snow storm beckoning in the west. It was dark, even though it wasn't even midday yet, it looked as if the city was eternally on the cusp of a bad storm. Her chin was held in her hand as she watched out the window as the buildings vanished and the train went back underground with an easy slope that she barely felt, crossing under the waterways that bordered Gotham from its sister city, Bludhaven.

"I have not met with Rachel in several months, it will be good to catch up with her." Kori smiled softly as they exited the train, up the steps and they were in a different city. Just over an hour on a train, and she went from Gotham to Bludhaven. "Come, I have a feeling you will like Bludhaven." Kori didn't fix her ball cap as it showed her abnormally vibrant green eyes and the wisps of her fiery hair.

She gave Ashley a small smile and took her hand, warmth coursed from Kori's touch and Ashley gave a timid grin back. Her nerves were on edge but Kori calmed them as they walked through the busy streets of the lively city. It was a bit like Gotham, tall towering buildings and architecture from the greats throughout the concrete and glass. It was dark and damp, but it wasn't so.. depressing. A few shades lighter. They passed several haphazardly parked patrol cars in front of an apartment building, a few men in handcuffs shouting at each other from the back of different police cars. Kori ushered Ashley passed them quickly. Bludhaven had the same crime just, a different shade.

Deeper into the city Kori came upon a nice looking brick building of towering apartments. This one had a set of white marble steps that were aging and cracked but clean. The glass door had bars inside and there was a comm system beside the thick door. Kori buzzed one of the buttons and waited a moment.

"Yes?" A stoic voice came over the com and Kori leaned forward to talk back into the speaker.

"Which road do I take?" Kori spoke into the speaker.

"Where do you want to go?" The voice asked again and this time Ashley could tell it was female.

"I don't know." Kori responded and there was a chuckle on the other end.

"Then, it doesn't matter." The voice finished the strange riddle or code and the front door was buzzed open, allowing the two women into the building and to the elevator. Kori pushed a button near the middle of the building and the doors closed to the lift.

"What was all that about?" Ashley asked out of curiosity.

Kori lifted a hand and placed a single finger over her lips with a sparkle in her green eyes, Ashley gave her a rose eyebrow look as the doors opened and Kori once again took the blonde's hand and tugged her forward. There was only one door in the small hallway and Ashley realized the entire floor was a single apartment. Kori reached up to lightly knock on the solid oak of the door. It opened on the second knock.

Standing in the open doorway stood the raven haired beauty that was Rachel Roth, pale skin vibrant eyes and near purple hair. A smile on her face as she opened the door further and ushered them inside. As the door locked in place she shook her head and reached for the alien woman. The both of them embraced for several moments before releasing the other and smiling brightly.

"Kori, I wasn't expecting a visit. And you brought Ashley with you." The raven haired woman smiled at the blonde standing some ways away from the close friends.

"It was last minute, I apologize for any inconvenience." Kori said kindly as she started to shed her coat and boots. Ashley followed the red heads lead and removed her heavy coat, her socked feet finding heated floors beneath her toes. She loved heated floors, godsend technology right there.

"It's fine Kori, I don't mind a visit. It gets me away from writing for a bit. Would you like some tea? Ashley?" The blonde nodded timidly, still in awe at being so close to yet another of her comic books idols. Raven was special to her, she'd even cropped her hair short and died it deep purple for an entire year, that was a mess and a half. She was far too tanned and bubbly or the look, but Halloween that year got her a slew of best costumed hero awards. "Please, have a seat so you can explain why you're emotions are so haywire." Rachel gave Ashley a long look and the blonde blushed pink, forgetting once more of the empath's powers.

Kori moved to sit at the breakfast table in the kitchen and Ashley followed her. Rachel moving carefully around the space, floating tea cups startled the blonde as they set themselves on the table. A wisp of blackish smoke, barely visible to the eyes, vanished when the objects were set safely on the table. "It would be better to ask our questions first, to see what you know and I can fill in the blanks." The Tameranian spoke as Rachel set the tea kettle on the stove and then sat herself across from the both of them.

"Do you know about Joker's toxin being found in Jason's territory?" Rachel nodded, crossing her legs under the table and clasping her hands in front of her on the smooth wood surface.

"Richard mentioned it in passing a few nights ago." Her eyes met Ashley's for a moment but then settled back on Kori. "He and I both assumed that the clown would come out of hiding sooner or later with another big plot to take over Gotham."

Kori pursed her lips, leaning her elbows on the table and slouching a slight bit. Her posture much the opposite of how Rachel was sitting regally at the other side of the wood rectangle. "Two of the Hood's working girls were kidnapped and found the next night at the only hospital in the east end. Pumped full of toxin and herion."

Rachel's brow furrowed. "Jason makes sure any of the working girls don't use drugs, correct?" Kori nodded solemnly. Rachel knew much more than even Bruce did about Jason's comings and goings, his rules and how he ran the Outlaws. Richard did as well, because Dick was the only brother Jason could talk to, who wouldn't instantly push morals at the Hood like Bruce did. They may not speak that often but they were still close.

The tea kettle began to whistle and Rachel didn't jump up to retrieve it, simply using her abilities to lift the dark blue pot from the stove and bring it to the table. Once it was sat close enough she took it from the air and poured them all a cup of the hot water. The temperature causing the tea bags in the cups to seep out their flavor as the leaves peeked. Ashley crossed her arms in front of her on the table and watched the swirling dark liquid quickly take over the clear hot water, lost in thought.

"You have a theory." Ashley took a moment to realize Rachel had in fact been speaking to her and not Kori, she looked up to find the heavy gaze of Raven locked onto her. The blonde nodded and looked back to her tea cup, her fingers reaching out to tug at the small round metal ball of mesh that held the tea bag in place.

"Harley's gone." It was all she said and she somehow knew Rachel would get her train of thought because the dark haired woman nodded while sipping at her tea for another moment.

"I had thought of that as well, and mentioned it to Richard after Harley was buried. He tried to breach the subject with Bruce but, Bruce didn't want to hear it. It appears we came to the same conclusion Ashley." The blonde looked back to meet Rachel's gaze, mesmerized by the way her eyes held the blonde into stillness as she spoke. "Without Harley, Joker is more than a mad man."

Ashley tensed as she saw a dark fire inside of Rachel's eyes flash, like a shot of black hell fire breaching her vision for a split second. It reminded her that yes, this woman was a fighter and a calm, collected person. But she was still half of a demon, a raging creature that could take out countries if she so wished for it. She was reminded yet again, of her own fragility in this world of super humans, aliens, mutants, and hell spawn. Her weakness.

Kori reached out and touched Ashley's cheek with the backs of her fingers, bringing the blonde's gaze from Rachel and to her own vibrant green orbs that helped calm the blonde exponentially. Bringing her back to the conversation at hand and not her inner musings of time travel and world hopping. Back to this world, where the Joker was coming out of hiding and where Ashley was scared.

"You two are welcome to stay here in Bludhaven as long as you need. I'm sure, with you here, I can expect Jason and Roy to come fetch you later on tonight." Rachel decided to leave the talk of Joker and what the mad man was planning, for later. She cold feel the turmoil and fear rolling off of Ashley's soul and it left a sour taste in the back of her throat, putting her off her tea but she continued to drink the sweet liquid in hopes of pushing her demon back inside of her mind. It liked the taste of fear.

"We're not going back to Gotham?" Ashley suddenly asks and Kori shook her head.

"Just until we hear back from them. They're going to make a sweep of the territory, check in with every man and woman in the Outlaws and then make another sweep of the east end." Ashley's eyes widened.

"That's going to take them..."

"Most of today and tonight."

"That's why you brought me here isn't it?" Ashley sighed when Kori didn't respond to her, only gave the blonde a small smile. The alien had brought her to the neighboring city to protect her, to guard her. Like a child.

"I'm hurt." Rachel playfully teased and Ashley blushed, quickly stepping over herself to apologize to the ex titan. "It's alright, I understand your turmoil about this. Being shoved into a locked box for your own protection is overwhelming but, they do mean well." A soft smile came to her lips and she stood. Her eyes scanning over the I'll fitting clothes on Ashley's frame and rose a delicate dark eyebrow. "Are you wearing Kori's clothes?" At the pink blush from Ashley's cheeks Rachel grinned.

"I know just what will take our mind off of all this craziness. Kori, shopping trip?" The red headed alien woman smiled like that sun for a moment, leaped up and hugged Rachel to her chest. Rachel laughed softly when she was released. In their youth the two had butted heads so much. The tameranian wanted so desperately to experience everything a human teenager did, go to malls, shopping trips, hair salons, all of it. Had begged and pleaded with the half demon for years and years to accompany her.

But Rachel's horrible social anxiety and fear of her own powers had kept the Raven haired woman from enjoying what Kori was offering, friendship. Now in their twenties and grown up, away from the tints and anyone that looked down on their powers, Rachel was glad to call up the alien woman and spend the day with her. Even though the tameranian would go overboard more often than not, she still enjoyed the company and friendship because she no longer feared her powers becoming too much with the flux of her emotions.

"We can even meet Richard for lunch, I was going to anyways. Perhaps we can suprise him." Rachel smiled, Ashley caught the glitter of her left hand and admired the engagement band sitting delicately there. Her inner fangirl wanted to gush so much. "I'm sure he'd be so happy to see you Kori."


	33. Chapter 33

"Kori!" Richard practically flew out of his patrol car, over its hood and to the trio when he'd parked in front of the restuartant. His arms wrapped around the red head and spun her around, his boots almost slipping on the icy pavement as he did so. "What are you doing in Bludhaven?! You usually come over for New Year's but.." he trailed off when he realized Ashley was standing there, a flush to her cheeks and her hand covering her mouth with part of her coat. His deep blue eyes narrowed in concern as he heard her wheeze. "We should get you inside."

His exuberance was replaced with worry as he ushered all three woman into the nice restaurant and to a table in the back corner. It was obvious they were regulars from the way he and Rachel both greeted the waiter like a friend. Now sitting and out of the cold, Dick reached over to kiss Rachel's kiss in greeting. Bright blue eyes turning to Kori and Ashley across from him.

"Ashley, it's good to see you. But I think this is more than a visit?" He raised an eyebrow at Kori and Rachel, they both nodded their head gently. "So what's going on?" The deep blue grey of his dress shirt stretched over his chest as he reached an arm to drape over Rachel's chair at her back. The flash of his police gun strapped under his arm peeked into Ashley's vision and she looked at it a long moment before she tore her gaze away.

"I'm sure you've heard the news in Gotham this morning." Rachel started, leaning somewhat into Richard's arm at her back. "These two ladies decided to come to Bludhaven for a visit while the authorities investigate the recent findings." Rachel said it all without saying a single detail pertaining to why they were actually in the city. Richard understood her perfectly. They were here for the time being, until the Hood or Arsenal deemed Gotham safe enough for them to return. Yes, he'd heard the news that morning but hadn't had a chance to catch up with Bruce about it all.

"I have, you're both welcome as long as you need." His bright smile shone toward them both and Ashley could see exactly what Rachel fell for in the vigilante. She smiled back, thanking them both as they all enjoyed their lunch. Ashley trying not to interrupt as the ex titan's caught up with the other's. She could see their close friendship and she wondered, where the rest of the original Titans were.

"So, where do you get your hair done?" The question shocked Ashley from her musings and she looked up sharply to Dick who had asked the question. Normally, she always said she did it at home. Bleached it herself and it was a fashion statement. But she was no longer home, and she no longer had to hide the truth. Though that didn't mean she wanted everyone to know exactly what happened to her. It was weird enough it was the single most painful thing that both her and Jason shared. And she had forgotten that Kori had carefully styled it this morning, the white swriling through the braids.

Kori's hand reached out to grip her own on top of the table, Ashley couldn't think if she'd told the alien woman or if Jason had maybe clued her in. But by the way she was looking at the blonde in comfort, Kori knew exactly what had happened and was offering support if Ashley wanted to tell her tale. After a deep breath and a moment of trying to calm her nerves she finally looked up to meet the bright blue of Dick Grayon's gaze.

"My brothers beat me with a crowbar." Very subtle Ashley. Dick's eyes widened and his entire body froze, his gaze filming over and Ashley could only guess that they were memories of when Jason died. The night Robin was killed by the Joker. Dick can still remember, being in the Batcave, listining to the scanners as Joker and Harley taunted Bruce. The sound of Jason's screaming wails of pain filling the empty static. /He's mine now Batsy, mine, mine, mine!/

"Richard..." Rachel gripped his thigh beside her and after a moment the dark haired man shook the haunting memories from his mind's eye and focused back on the blonde across from him. With white in her hair and the peeking of some scars on the back of her bared shoulder from the large neck of the sweater she was wearing. Thin lines, as if crawling over her shoulder. Her hand reached up to adjust the sweater and he realized he had been staring.

"I see why he's so possessive over you." His voice was low and hoarse, clearing his throat he tried to shake even more of the bad memories from his mind and focus back on the women around him and not the past. Ashley tilted her head at his word choice but he said nothing more. Richard probably knew Jason better than most, probably on the same level if not more than Roy Harper. He understood Jason didn't feel love anymore, he felt possession and ownership. And really, those were the same thing in most cases. Jason was possessive over few things. His friends, Roy, Kori, his brothers even though Damian was a long shot sometimes, and his call of dibs on the crown prince of crime, the Joker.

Richard found gentility in Ashley's gaze, not unlike a rabbit that was too scared to touch your hand, no matter how softly you spoke. She hid it, but not very well. And he could understand why Jason wanted to protect that in her. He could. Though behind that softness was an iron will, a desperation in her body to stay alive to grow. But then again Jason protected so many innocents, he'd saved countless lives now and gotten so many dangerous persons off the streets, permanently. The experience they shared couldn't be the only thing keeping Jason so high strung with her, there was something else here that no one had put their finger on yet. Something that made Ashley Dodge special to the Red Hood.

That made her a bright neon target in the dark streets of Gotham.

Ashley looked away, taking her hand from Kori's grasp and setting her hands in her lap, their lunch forgotten as silence reigned around the foursome. He could see it, in her eyes, the way she held her shoulders and clenched her small fists. She knew exactly what she was right now, if anyone really figured it all out. She was a weakness to the reigning Outlaw King. Jason was terrified Joker would find her.

"Jay won't let you get hurt, you're safe with him." Richard meant every word he'd just said. Jason was a lot of things, a lot of horrible things and he'd done so much to claw his way, literally, from his own grave. To get where he was today, even if he was a crime lord himself and he sold drugs, had hookers working for him. He was still a good man underneath it all, he went out of his way to help those in need. Their brothers don't understand, Bruce certainly didn't understand, but Richard did and so did Kori and Roy.

"That's enough of that. I want Ashley to enjoy her trip to Bludhaven Richard." The cop pushed the rest of his dark thoughts away and smiled brightly, leaning over to kiss Rachel's cheek once more, agreeing with his now fiance.

"I agree, redirect! How is shopping going ladies? I hope Kori isn't being too forceful with her choices." The mock outrage from the red head had them all letting out soft huffs of laughter. "She can be a bit girly."

"Pink is a wonderful color," Kori crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes, but not covered in sequins and bows, with four layers of ruffles." Rachel commented, shuddering at the memory of one of her first shopping trips with the alien when they were young teens. It had been, terrifying.

Late afternoon turned Gotham into near dusk. The alleys filled with shadows and ghosts while the people tried desperately to not think of what or who could be lurking behind the dumpsters and darkness. Jason stood, arms crossed as he looked over the city from the highest building in the east end. It wasn't much, a mostly abandoned parking garage. But it was his highest vantage point in his part of the city and something in him wanted to be much higher. To see all around him and then further again.

He wanted more, more of everything he had. Jason wanted more than a shitty old church as his base of operations. He wanted more than a handful of men that could actually shoot and fight. He wanted an army. Jason Todd wanted a fucking kingdom, not the shit hole of a corner of the worst crime ridden city in the world. Jason had the desire and the power to get what he wanted if he truly wanted it. The only things in his way were the love he had for his family and the few morals that stayed with him through the pit. And that scared the fuck out of Bruce Wayne as he watched his adopted son stare out over the darkening city of Gotham. The red glint of Jason's helmet like a bloody signal to call the shadows around himself.

Bruce had left Damian at the Batcave, ordering Robin to say at the computers and contact Oracle and Red Robin. A fight was brewing, and the bat family needed to stick together in this one. Even Jason Todd, the bloodied and beaten of the birds, should stay by his siblings in the war to come. He just wasn't sure if Jason would even side with his own family, if Joker's head was on the menu.

"You have to stay out of this." Jason didn't move a muscle as Bruce spoke to him from a few yards away, it felt like a chasm between them. "Red Hood, you have to stay away from this."

"Why should I? Give me a reason that I haven't heard before old man." Bruce wanted to flinch at the hatred and venom in Jason's voice, even phased and deeper from the helmet scrambling his voice, he could hear it. And it tore Bruce's heart into shreds to hear it directed at himself.

So Bruce said the one thing that hopefully would make Jason back off. To make his revenge filled son leave well enough alone and let him and his brothers take out the clown once more. "If you go to war with the Joker, the League will take her away from you."

Bruce saw the sudden stillness that came over Jason's entire being. Before he could see Jason's chest move as he breathed softly, the twitch in his trigger fingers. But now, Jason had become a solid statue not unlike the gargoyles that kept silent watch over more then half of Gotham. Slowly Jason dropped his crossed arms to his sides and turned to fully face Bruce. Batman couldn't see Jason's face behind the solid red helmet but he could feel its intensity.

"You think I'm scared of the League?" Jason's voice was monotone, holding no emotions whatsoever. Cold. Jason's hand moved fast, his left holding a gun mere inches from Bruce's forehead. The older male didn't move an inch and didn't flinch, it wouldn't have been the first time a gun has been pointed at him. Though, it was the first time that Jason had done this very thing. Bruce is reminded once again of the sheer speed in which Jason can move. "You think I'm scared of you?"

Bruce said nothing. "She's mine Batman, remember that." Jason pushed the safety back on his gun and holstered the weapon. Turning on his heel he started to walk away from Batman. The bloody red bat across the back of Jason's leather jacket haunted Bruce more than he'd ever let on.

"Even it meant her safety? Her life?" Jason didn't pause as he stalked away.

"...yes." With that cryptic answer, Jason flung himself from the rooftop and shot out his grappling gun to the next building and the next until he was blocks away from Bruce and his cowl. Jason's hands clenched, bits of brick dust and ice fell as his fist connected with the side of a building.

Rage took over his entire body and Jason couldn't contain the savage snarl that ripped from his throat at the mere thought of Ashley being taken from him. Of her life in danger because of him. Self loathing meshed with guilt and anger, melding and mixing inside of him until all he could feel was the power the pit had given him and the insanity that came with it. Jason stalked into the shadows as night fell, ignoring the vibrating phone in his pocket and the several calls from Roy in his helmet interface. He needed to cool off, or he'd do something incredibly stupid. Not even Kori and Roy could take the edge off of his person right now, and he shuddered to think what he might do to Ashley's very average human body if he fucked her like he wanted to in this moment. He'd surely break her in two, or worse.

"She's mine." His voice echoed softly off the alley as he melted into the dark.


	34. Chapter 34

When Roy found Jason the next morning, about four a.m., he knew what he'd find. Jason slumped into a chair in the chapel. The one reserved for him alone, a high backed leather number that was covered in more dried blood than even the interrogation room. A nearly empty bottle of cheap vodka in his left hand and the other holding one of his guns. Two of their own men were shot down, not dead, but bleeding pretty bad and one would most likely walk with a limp the rest of his short life.

He didn't question it, the others moved out of his way like the parting of the seas. Arsenal was not to be questioned, no more than the Hood, and the men under them got the hell out of their way when needed. "Get them to the fucking hospital." A few of the men nodded and went to grab their moaning companions from the floor. There was a huge bubble of space around the raised stage of the chapel where the Red Hood glared down at them all. No one wanting to get too close, like those two had. And they'd learned why, when one of them asked how much a night with the blonde would cost him. He's lucky he's not dead.

"Hood, we need to go pick up the packages." In other words. /Get the fuck up so we can go get the girls/. They'd been in Bludhaven nearly twenty four hours and Roy was chomping at the bit to go get his woman back in his arms. But he knew Jason needed that time to chill out, let the pit's insanity run its course so he would be sane once more before they went to get Ashley.

Jason didn't say a word, only tossed the bottle to the floor, where it clanked and spilled its leftover contents to the worn wooden floors. He'd had to have stopped drinking the bottle at some point because Jason's helmet was still in place, he hadn't been at the chapel very long then. The Hood stood and popped his neck, holstered his gun and started the walk towards the doors. His men moved and scrambled out of the way, some going so far as to flinch at the slightest movements from their leader.

Once outside the two made their way to Jason's apartment, redressed, Roy forced a toothbrush and mouthwash in Jason's mouth, and found themselves on the D train straight into Bludhaven. Jason's fingers twitched and he stuffed them inside of his black leather coat. He'd showered quick as he could but there was a lingering feeling of blood on his skin. The carjackers, single mugger and one rapist that he'd spotted hadn't stood a chance, and he knew he'd hell about it from Bruce later on but he didn't give two shits at the moment. He just didn't care.

All he wanted was to get Ashley back in his arms, hoping she could calm his beating heart that hadn't stopped since Batman had threatened the League taking her from him. Something inside of him had nearly snapped loose, something deep, primal and purely from the pit. His head ached with a migraine and from his jaws tightly clenching his teeth all night long. The vodka running through him made his empty stomach unsettled, god he wanted a thick juicy cheeseburger right now. Ashley fist, sex second, then burgers.

Roy didn't ask questions, he knew Jason would get like this sometimes and had to wait the other male out. Course they couldn't speak freely on the train, but Jason would tell him soon enough. The two rode in silence until the train stopped and they made their way through the early morning streets of Bludhaven.

"Dick should be awake." Jason checked the time on his seldom used watch, recalling the early hours his brother worked for the BPD. His voice was low and devoid of much of any emotion, his steps quick and sure on the icy sidewalks as they moved toward Dick's apartment building. On their way they heard whispers of people talking about what was going on in Gotham, hoping the crime lords stayed in that city and away from their own. They had faith in Nightwing and the police of their city. Jason scoffs a bit bitterly.

Buzzing up to the apartment, no one answered but the front door unlocked. Jason couldn't make the elevator go any faster as he tapped his foot impatiently until the doors were barely open. His feet taking him to the heavy door of Dick's apartment. It opened before he could knock and Jason would apologize later but he needed to see her.

"Where is she?" Dick pointed to his living room as a smirk appeared on his lips and Jason pushed through the large space until he stopped at the back of the couch. Richard and Roy watched as Jason's shoulder's dropped finally and he lay his hands on the back of the couch, a deep breath escaping the man's lungs as he looked down at a sleeping Ashley. Jason glanced over his shoulder at his older bother and whispered, "Thank you."

Richard nodded once to his brother and then offered Roy a cup of coffee while they left Jason to look down at Ashley's sleeping form. Letting his nerves calm now that he could see for himself she was very much safe and had been the entire time. Not taken from him by the League when he wasn't there with her. Jason reached out his palm and gently brushed some of her hair from her face. It had fallen out of the braid and left it waved. Her heartbeat was calm beneath his fingertips as he gently traced over the underside of her jaw. His own calming and he felt a weight lift off of his shoulders.

She stirred at the gentle touches and her eyes fluttered open a smidgen. Her hand lifting lazily to grasp at his wrist he leaned over the back of the couch and cupped her jaw in his long fingered hand. Ashley hummed softly and then used her other hand to reach up and rub the sleep from her eyes. Jason felt his lips turn up into some semblance of a grin as she yawned, god she was fucking cute when she was sleepy. His thumb rubbed over the apple of her cheek as she kept waking up more and more. It was pretty early.

"Hey." He mumbled gently down to her and she smiled back.

"Mnn, hey." Taking a deep sigh she went to sit up, Jason's hand leaving her cheek as he moved around the couch to sit beside her as she curled her legs beneath her. She didn't sit that way for but for a second as Jason bodily picked her up by her hips and sat her in his lap, blanket and all. Her legs caught together and bent inside the blanket she was wadded up into a ball as Jason's arms came around her waist and back to hold her against his chest, his nose sunk into the gathered hair at her neck. Ashley felt his chest shake as he took a long breath and then he relaxed into the couch, his grip on her like locked and rusted steel, solid and strong.

Curiously, and unable to really move other then a tilt of her head, looked over the back of the couch to find Richard, Roy, Rachel and Kori all looking at her with stupid smiles on their faces. Blushing she ducked into Jason's neck and shoulder to hide his pink cheeks. Instead Jason only held her a fraction tighter to his chest and she just let him. Why move? She was comfy and warm, and still incredibly tired since she'd waited up more than half the night for him to show up.

"Aww Jay-bird is being all cute and domestic, look Ray!" Dick teased as he came into the living room, his officers belt now around his hips. A big grin on his lips as Jason flipped him the middle finger from behind Ashley's back where he refused to let her go. Richard chuckled softly.

"Fuck you Dick." Jason lifted his head form Ashley's hair and glared at his brother, his eyes were sunken and tired, bloodshot. He'd had no sleep and all night he ran himself ragged chasing down anything he could kill. His brother saw the dark look in Jason's eyes and he stopped his teasing for now. The one brother knowing when to push and when not to.

"Let's go." Jason stood and helped Ashley out of the blanket tangle she was in as she stood on her own. His eyes narrowing at the heavy looking blue duffel bag beside the couch she picked up.

"We had a girl's day." Kori explained excitedly, showing Jason and Roy her manicured nails and the men rolled their eyes. Knowing what those words entailed, no doubt that the bag at Ashley's feet was packed full of clothes.

Jason watched as Ashley sat down on the couch to pull on a new pair of boots. Ones much more sturdy than the what she'd been wearing, fully black with no clasps that shone. He raised an eyebrow to Kori but she only smiled and pointed to Rachel from across the room and in the kitchen messing with the stove.

"Thanks Dick." Jason spoke again, giving his brother as kind a look as he could. He was tired and agitated, but he was grateful he could count on Dick to watch over Ashley and not take her immediately to Bruce or the League. Knowing Jason could do his job and protect her.

Richard reaches out and grips Jason's shoulder for a moment and gave his brother a small smile before they all headed back to the door. "Wait." Rachel came forward and handed Ashley a sealed tuppawear container with a taped index card on top. "The cinnamon rolls we had last night. You liked them so much I made some more." She tapped the card on top. "That's the recipe." She leaned forward to Ashley's ear and whispered very loudly. "Jason loves them." Rachel winked when she pulled back.

"Thanks." Ashley couldn't make her mouth work so she grinned at Rachel's calm and graceful smile, turning to follow Jason as he took the duffel from her shoulder so she could carry the container of sweets. Smiling Kori hugged Rachel and Dick. Everyone said their goodbyes and soon the foursome were on the train back to Gotham.

Richard stood to leave for work, pulling on his deep black overcoat over his dress shirt and black pressed pants. His hand rose to comb his fingers through the dark locks on his head while Rachel sidled up to his chest, her hands moving over his tie and straigtening the silk knot. He sighed heavily through his nose and still summoned a smile for the dark haired woman against his chest. The love of his life.

The dark in her eyes swam with the power inside of her, peeking from the iris in tiny thin tendrils that danced about. Mesmerizing him every single time he took the moment to watch it, ever since he'd discovered the tiny detail about her years ago. In those eyes he found worry and his own gaze narrowed as he kept looking and getting lost in her gaze.

"You've seen something, haven't you?" He whispered softly and Rachel blinks slowly, reminding him once again of her namesake, the raven. Of the bird of prey's watchful eyes that saw every detail. Her power of premonition was locked tight in her being, she refused to open it willingly. Afraid of changing the course of their futures and others. But sometimes, very rarely, a slip of a vision would come through her dreams. In some form of a daydream that turned into a real sight in her minds eye that could easily happen.

"I think that, you should go to work and request some time off." Dick stared down at her for a moment before nodding, not questioning her words. He'd seen time and time again where he hadn't heeded her warnings and the results were nearly catastrophic.

Turning back to her at the door he grinned softly. "See if the old armor needs mending, I don't think Gotham will appreciate Nightwing's appearance." He can see Rachel smile as she lifts her tea mug to her lips. Dick leans over and kisses her cheek.

"Have a good day." She softly says to the closing door. Once it's locked she smirks behind her mug. Yes, she should get out that old armor set. Maybe add some new toys to the belts. She'll have to find some fresh power for it, but it won't be too difficult. Hmm, her day of Netflix and working on her next book was just canceled. Well, maybe she could do both.


	35. Chapter 35

Jason was pacing the length of his apartment. Back and forth, back again. Prowling over the floor with long steps and sure footing, his feet never wavering and always keeping him in a straight line. Ashley watched from her perch on the counter top of the kitchen bar. Her legs folded under her in pale blue leggings and one of Jason's long sleeved shirts. He'd been pacing like that for nearly two days now. More reports of bodies full of toxin were on the news and it only served to enrage the male. To top it off, they were waiting for the League's check in call. Their nerves were on edge.

Ashley stopped watching him to tap her nails in a mismatched rhythm on the countertop. Three days ago when they'd come back from Bludhaven, Jason had remarked on her choice of color when she'd had her nails done with Kori. A deep red, like the apple in Snow White, with a black french tip. She liked it, her mind was still caught in Halloween at times. It was her favorite season, her favorite holiday. Now it all felt like a distant memory, when she'd only been in this new world for just over six weeks. It felt like years.

She glanced up when Jason's feet changed pattern, slowed and came to stand in front of her. Ashley's always surprised by his height on her, siting on the island like she was, she was perfectly eye level with the giant that was Jason Todd. Built like a brick shithouse didn't even seem to cover it when she thought of trying to describe him. His arms came up on either side of her and practically caged her in, invading her personal space, his lips touching the soft curve of her jaw and trailing downwards and back up. The scratch of his un-shaved cheeks and jaw burning her skin deliciously.

"You drive me crazy, you fuckin' know that?" Jason growled into her ear, sighing suddenly when his phone started to ring. For a moment he lay his forehead on her shoulder before reaching over and grabbing the phone, straightening up his spine.

Swiping right to unlock the screen Jason grinned at the disgruntled look of Superman on the live video chat. "Yo." With an eye roll Jason turned to lean his hip on the counter top, right beside Ashley so she could be seen by his shoulder.

"Jason." Superman curtly acknowledged Jason but quickly turned his attention to the blonde who was smiling kindly at him. "Miss Dodge, how are you?"

"I'm good." She replied easily, giving no indication anything was going on, which it technically wasn't. Her short reply must have agitated the super because he sighed though his nose in huff. But Ashley wasn't giving any more details. She was fine and she was alive, obviously. That's all the League needed to know. She'd say anything to stay right where she was.

"You're breathing treatments, are they working?" She nodded and shook the small inhaler in her hand so Superman could see it in the video. "Have you had any problems with it?"

"I had to use it a few days ago because of the cold but other than that I haven't even left the apartment." Supermen nodded once, accepting the answers she was giving.

"May I speak with Jason, Miss dodge?" Ashley tilted her head to Superman and then turned to look at Jason beside her. Looking for a cue as to how to answer but he gave nothing away and simply jutted his chin to the hall where his bedroom was. Hopping down Ashley left Jason alone to finish the call.

"She seems fine." Jason scoffs and rolls his eyes again, turning to sit in one of the bar stool by his counter. "I wanted to give you a warning."

Jason narrowed his eyes as Superman scowled at him from the small screen. "We've heard about the recent reports of the Joker's toxin in Gotham. We want you to know. That if you interfere with Batman's investigation. In any way whatsoever, that the League will be forced to relocate Ashley from your protection as soon as possible, as far as possible from Gotham, and you."

Jason was ready for the warning, he thought he had been, he wasn't. Did the League really think they could take her from him? That Jason Peter Todd would allow that? But before Jason could retort the screen went back. Ashley jumped in the bedroom when she heard a crash and the sound of glass breaking from the open space of the apartment. Her socked feet padded down the wide hall and found Jason's back turned to her, his chest rising and falling in rapid movements, hands clenched into fists at his sides and head tilted downwards. The television across the big open space had been knocked over, Jason's phone smashed and cracked beside the hundreds of shards of glass from the shattered television screen.

Ashley felt a fissure of fear run up her spine. And it wasn't really of Jason, though it should have been a solid sign to tuck tail and run to the League. No, it was of memories flooding her vision. A busted window, a punch to the gut. The swish sound a crowbar makes as it swings through the air toward its fleshy target. Somehow she founds herself on the floor, her side sliding down the wall until her legs collapsed underneath of her and she stared unblinking at the small amount of carnage that Jason had created in his short burst of anger. It was him, it was the sight and sounds of the reactions he had. Her breathing ragged but all she hears is the ringing of glass breaking, nothing else comes into her bubble of memories.

Hands gently grip her chin and she's suddenly looking into Jason's deep oceanic blue green eyes, pulling her back to the present with a heavy gasp as she clutches to his shirt for dear life. Her hands shaking as she panted for breath that won't come, the wheeze becoming heavy in her every inhale. Then she's in his arms, being carried to the couch and set down carefully in the middle of it. And just like when she was at the manor and had her first breathing attack, Jason makes the motions and forces the drug into her throat with a puff. His big body crowding hers until she's pressed against him, chest to chest and his arms are tight around her waist.

"Listen." His hand comes up to thread his fingers into her hair at the nape of her neck and force her to tilt her head until her ear is pressed against his ribs. The thudding of his heart reaching her hearing, she closes her eyes to the soothing sound. Her breathing slowing and her heart rate calming.

It takes awhile but after maybe twenty minutes she's breathing back to normal and Jason is easily threading his fingers down her hair and back again. Gently untangling the knots with soft pressure as his other hand held her lower back to keep her pressed against his chest and lap. Ashley's arms slowly creep around Jason's wide waist to hold onto him. Her nails digging lightly into the soft skin at the base of his spine.

"Did I scare you?" Jason's voice was low, soft and very unlike his usual harsh tone. Ashley quickly shakes her head her arms growing tighter around his waist. But that wasn't enough for Jason, his hands grip her upper arms and yank. Pulling her further up his chest to get her eye level with him, her hands now at his hips at the edge of his low slung sweats, fingers gripping the fabric. "Answer me."

"No." Her own voice turned harsher than she expected it would sound. It wasn't him she was afraid of. It was just an instant of her abuse coming out of nowhere and scaring her into a breathing attack. It wasn't him. But her voice failed and she couldn't explain it to him anymore than answering his question with a single worded response.

Long moments between them lapsed as Jason looked carefully into her eyes but she didn't glance away from him, her iris didn't flicker to the left. She was being completely honest with him. So he kissed her, his hands sliding down her arms to grip her hips and pull her flush against him, her knees bracketing his lap as he licks at her mouth. Ashley gasps and Jason takes the opportunity to invade her hot mouth with his tongue. He'd been so careful to not simply tackle her every moment the urge came but, he couldn't stop himself. She was a drug that he was quickly becoming addicted. She got in his veins and made his blood pump and his heart thrash out of his chest.

Ashley found herself on her back, her hair flinging to the floor off the edge of the couch while Jason kissed and sunk his teeth into the soft underside of her jaw. Her back arched, Jason's hands roamed and her shirt, his shirt, was ripped clean off her body with a quick jerk of his wrists. His strength should unnerve her, it was unnatural for a human to be that strong. Yet he moved her around as if she weighed nothing more than a feather. Moving her onto her stomach, his hand brushing her hair away from her back as his lips trailed all over the creamy expanse of flesh.

One foot planted on the floor Jason sat on the back of her upper thighs, his rough callous covered hands roaming over her back. Every soft touch making her breathing hitch as it sent shivers down her spine. Her smaller hands gripped at the couch cushion beneath her, Jason reared back to look down at her panting softly beneath him. He was solid as marble and they'd barely done anything, the mere sight of her bare back, covered in thin white scars, and heavy breathing gave him a raging hard on. His lips turned into a grin, heavy palms touch over her lower back, over the inked skin there and he grins wider. She had his mark before she even came into his world.

Turning her gently to her side so he could see her face, his hand reached out to grip her jaw in his hand. "I wanna try something okay?" Her eyes are curious but she doesn't resist when he helps her stand and leads her back to the bedroom. Leading her to stand near his dresser he takes a second to just look at her. Her long hair, draped over her breasts like fine silk that hung down her back to lightly touch the curve of her spine. Hour glass waist over top of wide set hips and thick toned thighs. Jason licked his lips.

Turning to rummage in the second drawer of his dresser he grabbed a length of nylon cord. Biting the corner of his lip he turns to her, twining the cord in his fists tightly and facing her. He'd wanted to try this for awhile, but hadn't breached the subject because he didn't want to scare the blonde. But seeing her now, the way her breath hitched, her chest stuttered and her fingers twitched at her hips. The deep flush to her cheeks and neck. He had no doubts now. Jason took a step forward and when she didn't move he took another and another until he was nearly towering over her.

"On a scale of one to ten, one being scarred shitless and ten being heavy bondage play, what's your thoughts on this rope?" He had the cord between his fingers, pulling and folding it around his knuckles. Watching her gaze darken with every twist in the bright orange cord as she watches it in his hands. He wanted to see how she'd look, trussed up and begging for release. Completely submissive beneath him.

"Eight." She said simply and looked up at him. Fuck, she even reached out both her wrists, side by side and palm facing upwards. Her eyes so lust blown Jason chuckled, caught the twitch of her thighs rubbing together tightly as she stood as still as she could make herself. Jason took that single step more toward her, his chest a few inches from her own heaving one and gently took her hands in his own. His lips touched her knuckles before he pulled her around and had her face way from him, tugging her arms behind her back.

Folding her arms to where she was gripping the opposite elbow, Jason began to wrap and knot the cord around her soft skin. His eyes raking over her back, taking in every scar and mark left there about her shoulders. His mouth tracing over the mars as he tugged on the knots, making sure they were snug but not biting on her skin. There were marks he wanted to leave and others he never wanted to see on her. Such as the burns from too tight ropes.

Reaching to his dresser he grabbed a serrated hunting knife he kept sitting on top of it and cut the extra rope from her arms. She did jump a tiny bit at the sound of the knife cutting through the cord but he leaned forward and shushed into her ear gently. His back against her bound arms as he set the knife back down on the dresser, his hand now empty sought out her heaving breasts as she breathed deeply. Her pulse was racing, as was his own.

"Tell me if I go too far, baby. I don't wanna hurt you." He felt Ashley sigh on a deep whimper and she leaned back into him. Her legs visibly shaking to hold her own weight upright. One hand palming her breasts, the other sunk around her hip to her waist and belly. Just firm enough to be toned but still soft to the touch. He could appreciate a good toned body but Ashley wasn't as solid as Kori, she had more weight to her but it was distributed perfectly around her body. She was thicc as hell and Jason fucking loved it. Because she was just tall enough to not make him feel like a giant but she just small enough to make sure he knew he was all man and she was a woman.

"You have to answer me Ashley, otherwise I stop this right now and we won't do it again." The next words out of her mouth sent a shock of pleasure straight to his aching dick.

"Yes, sir."

"Fuck. Good girl." Jason growled as he crowded her back, basically pushing her stumbling onto the bed. A little tap to the shoulders and she leans over the edge, her chest and shoulders pressing onto the rumpled sheets and blankets as she pressed into his hips. Her rounded ass rubbing against his groin and he groaned, his hand on her lower back as he rutted against her for a moment, enjoying the feel of her against him. "God ,your ass... mnnnh."

He none too gently swatted her left cheek and gave one final push of his hips against her rear end before stepping back and waiting. Wondering if she'd move from her position. She squirmed, a lot, but stayed where he left her. He didn't move or say anything until she whimpered low in her throat.

"Calm down, sweetheart." Jason loved to hear her yelp in surprise, so he grabs her up by the leggings, her feet an inch off the floor before he tugs at both sides, ripping the thin fabric down until the cloth catches at her ankles. Her shriek making him grin and chuckle. He just yanks once more and the legging tugged free of her feet. Leaving her in the rope and a pair of neon green boy shorts panties. Jason leans back and rolls his eyes into his skull for a moment, his teeth biting into his knuckles as he looks at the globes of her ass in those panties. Searing the image into his mind for a rain day.

"Jason..." Her voice is needy and breathless as she squirms her hips and thighs, her back curved beautifully downwards as she moves.

"Stay still, I wanna watch you for a second." She huffs but stays there, him watching as her fingers clenched and strained. She was going crazy. He could see, from this angle, that her panties were drenched. A dark spot between her legs and the muscles of her inner thighs were twitching.

He couldn't take it any longer, his sweats were shed to the floor and he sidles up to her ass once more. His hands roamed over her hips, his knee tapping between hers to get her to spread her legs a bit. Jason frowned when he pushed his cock between her thighs, she just wasn't tall enough. Hmm maybe if she had some heels. Next time, next time. Instead Jason lifted her by the hips and helped her kneel on the edge of the bed. This time when he pushed into her legs she was at just the right angle. The wet warm cloth covering her cunt slid over his dick and he groaned.

Jason's hand gripped her tied wrists and moved her around more to where she was comfortable. Making sure she was fine before he pulled her panties to the side instead of fully from her person. He liked the extra friction it caused sometimes. Ashley's breath hitched and she groaned low in her throat as he slicked up his cock with her warm juices. "Fuck babydoll, you're so fucking wet.." Pressing down on the middle of her back, making her arch just right, Jason set to pushing inside of her.

Usually he got her off before he sunk into her. It wasn't such a stretch for her and it eased any discomfort she had when first taking him into her body. But she was so wet Jason figured she'd be fine, and he kept pushing until the outer ring of her vagina finally let him inside and he sunk in a couple inches with a rough thrust. Ashley let out a feral groan and pushed back into his hips. Her hair falling in her face and catching on her wet lips as she panted and squirmed. "Want more baby?"

"Fuck..yes... More, please!" She was shaking, so Jason grinned, gripped her hips, planted his feet and pushed. Ashley screamed, he groaned, and their hips connected skin on skin. Fully seated inside of her, biting his lip to keep from cumming then and there. God, she felt good, hot and tight around him.

"Well, sweetheart.." He chuckled and ground his hips onto hers. Feeling the head of his cock push against the barrier of her cervix and every inch of her walls clenched around him. "You asked for more." She had no response but to breath heavy through her nose and open her eyes. Barely catching his gaze from over her shoulder, her gaze darkened and Jason felt her walls clench around him several times. "Little..." He grunted, pulled back and slammed home again just to make her cry out and her eyes roll back into the sockets. "Hush babygirl." Ashley whimpered but laid her cheek back down on the sheets.

Jason started a heavy rhythm of pull back slowly and slam home, push against her deep inside and then start all over again. Ashley's cries were turning louder, into pleading bursts of words but Jason kept his pace, it was just enough to keep her on the edge but wasn't quite enough for her to pass over that edge. She was squirming, desperately needing more.

"Please Jason... goddamit please just let me cum." Jason chuckled, twisted his chin and jerking his head back as he flipped his sweat slicked hair back from his face. Looking down fascinated and hungry as he watched Ashley's body take his cock in and out of her tight cunt. His gaze moving over the globes of her ass, to the ink at her lower spine and over the curve of her back. Her corded arms, though he wished he had a different color for her lightly tanned skin, maybe a deep purple or a red. Yeah red, he liked red. To her sweat slicked neck and her panting face. Eyes closed and lips parted as she breathed deep and heavy. She was gorgeous.

Deciding to play into this a little more, see how far she would go. "Ah, ah, ah, babygirl." Jason seated himself as deep as he could inside of her and leaned forward onto his elbow, her body trapped and filled beneath his own and he could feel her tremble on the edge of orgasm. "Tell Daddy what you want sweetheart, ask me real nice and I'll give it to you. I promise." He whispered into her ear, his breath heavy on her neck and she tensed so much he wondered if she came from his words alone. But she took a soft breath instead.

"Daddy, can I cum please? Please, I'll be good.." Fuck. Jason reached out blindly into his drawer and pulled out a condom, he'd been so wrapped up in binding her arms he hadn't put one on. Withdrawing from her gently Jason slid the condom on his slicked length with a bit of difficulty but once it was seated on his cock he leaned back and moved Ashley around to her back.

Placing a pillow folded in half, under her hips and lower back he wrapped her legs around his waist and sunk back into her. His bulky body hovering over her smaller one and she whined as he started slow and quickly picked up the pace. Every time he sunk all the way into her he'd hit that deep spot inside of her and his pubic bone would rub against her clit harshly. "Fuck, fuck. You're such a good girl for me." Jason groaned into her neck, his lips kissing over her salty sweaty skin until he reached her own mouth and took her breath in a searing kiss.

Breaking away Jason groaned low in his chest and rutted even harder against her, his arms moving to wrap up under her bound body to grind himself into her pussy. Their skin slick with sweat and sticking to the others as Ashley threw her head back and screamed. Her back went taut, her breath froze in her lungs and her vaginal walls clamped so hard around his cock that Jason gasped into her neck and came, hard. His entire body shaking with the effort. His orgasm pulsing through his body, his arms around her small frame bruising with the strength of his grip. But he couldn't force his body to react to anything but the small pulses of orgasm still running through Ashley's body and he just let it ride out on its own.

Jason's lips find her neck once more as he slowly pulls his arms from her limp body. "Good girl, good girl. Fuck." Every word of praise from his mouth has her clenching around him and he knew for a fact she needed a break after something like that. He was not going to fuck her until he hurt her, not every again. But that didn't stop his own body's reaction. His dick twitching back to life inside the used condom, he was still half hard.

Incoherent mumbling came from her lips and throat, Jason had no idea what she was saying. So he shushed her and continued to pull away, tugging the pillow from beneath her hips and unwound her legs from his waist. Her thighs were coated entirely in sweat and her own cum, Jason's male pride swelled filthily at the sight. Moving her to her side he gently started to untie her wrists, once free he tossed to rope to the floor and reminded himself to keep the length of it for future use. Ashley didn't even move on her own, she was satiated and half asleep, almost in a sex induced coma and Jason chuckled as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Babygirl, you're just full of surprises ain't ya?" Ashley's lips quirk into a small grin.


	36. Chapter 36

Jason was trying exceedingly hard not to shoot anyone right now. It was proving difficult, his second finger on each hand twitched with the want to pull a trigger. Hadn't they learned by now, his men, that what he says was law? Sure they got riled up every now and then but a shot to their feet usually calmed the dumbasses back into submission. This, this was a frenzy that he was having trouble controlling and evading.

Two of his men had been found dead in their homes, the toxin in their veins. Thing is, neither one of them were drug users, and neither one was shot up with the toxin mixed with other narcotics. The only evidence was the cheap whiskey that both of them had bought at different corner store, at different times of the week. And different brands. But both had the toxin in the bottles. Jason was going to get a migraine soon if these fuckers didn't shut up with their screaming and crying about not feeling safe. They were criminals, fucking act like it.

He couldn't take it anymore, his hand grabbed the gun at his thigh and he was ready to shoot straight into the crowd of his men arguing in the chapel. But a small hand on his forearm caught his attention. Ashley looked up into his face behind his helmet and raised an eyebrow. "Alright, you shut them up. See how hard it is." she rolled her eyes and turned more the face the crowd.

Her hood was up on the leather coat he'd gotten for her, she seemed to like it that way whenever he brought her here and that was fine by him. She looked good, added an air of mystery to her as she stood at his and Roy's side up at the pulpit. So far none of his men had tried anything, though he'd never let her out of his sight. There was really no way to tell how they would react to her trying to get their attention. As far as any of them knew, she was just the Hood's girl, you didn't look and you didn't touch. She was quiet and rarely said much, but Jason knew she was taking in as much information as she could every time he brought her down here with him. Which was turning into pretty often since he refused to leave her alone even at his own apartment.

Ashley walked closer to the edge of the raised stage and looked out at the men for a moment. Bringing her pinkies to her lips she placed them in the corners of her mouth and blew, hard. A sharp, loud whistle sounded through the chapel and over the crowd of arguing men and teens. Within a few moments the entire mass of them were silent and looking at the blonde standing her her hands back in her coat pockets.

"Shut up and listen." Her voice was just loud enough to carry over them all and she turned to move back beside himself and Roy. Jason was grinning like a madman behind his face plate and Roy tucked his tongue in his teeth to keep from busting out laughing.

With Ashley back to his side Jason wrapped an arm around her hip for a moment before leaving her with Roy to go talk to his men, like adults. With inside voices. Roy sidled up to Ashley and flung his arm over her shoulders, leaning into her so he could whisper to her. "How the fuck did you do that?"

She shrugs under his arm and tilts her face to whisper back to him. "I was an asssitant second grade teacher for one of my classes. The kids would get rowdy right before recess. If you get their attention, just act calm as if their behavior wasn't bothering you. Simple." This time Roy did outright laugh and more than a few men looked their way. Roy flipped them off with a middle finger as he chuckled.

"You just reduced about thirty murdering, drug selling criminals into second graders... I fucking love it." Ashley rolled her eyes and tried to keep a blush from peppering her cheeks. It was becoming easier to see her blush with the winter fading her hard earned tan.

"Well, if they're gonna act like children, treat them like children." She shrugged again and Roy leaned over to kiss her cheek. Ashley froze at the affectionate contact. She didn't know if it was okay for Jason's men to see her like that with Arsenal. If it would make her seem even more of a slut than she already was thought of here. But Roy grinned at her ear and did it again closer to her neck this time. She bit her lip.

"When Artemis is here we're basically fucking her in front of them all. Don't worry about it. Means you're not only Hood's but mine, they won't try anything." He pulled back and made a face. "Well, they shouldn't, they don't mess with Kori but she's you know, an alien with laser bolts in her hands." Hearing Roy say she was his too.. It made her heart beat a little faster.

"That makes me feel so much better." She crosses her arms and Roy only chuckles at her expense. She still hated the fact that she knew next to nothing of self defense. Her work out regiment was non existent now. She hadn't practiced yoga but a few times since staying with Jason, course, sex with Jason Todd was a work out itself. But it wasn't as harsh as she was used to. Her legs were starting too cramp up and feel restless if she didn't move more. She knew Jason had noticed this morning when she started to pace across the apartment. Ashley wanted to train, she wanted to fight. She wanted to do something instead of sitting on her ass or laying on her back. Well ,she liked laying on her back with Jason but that wasn't the point. They'd promised to teach her, and Ashley was about to bring up that promise.

Roy used the hand hovering over her shoulder to reach out and grip her chin, baring her throat to him as he peppered soft kisses down her neck. "Easy, you're grindin' your teeth. Don't let them see you can get riled up over nothing." His words whispered into her neck and Ashley relaxed her shoulders, removed her tongue from pressing at the roof of her mouth and released her clenched teeth. She really had been riled up. Now a pink dust of a blush came over her cheeks and Roy grinned against her jaw. "There ya go Dodge."

Releasing her chin from his gentle grip Roy returned the hand to hanging over her shoulder as he leaned some of his weight on her. Just enough to make her plant her feet more and find her balance without making a huge fuss about the added weight. Jason glanced over to them with a slight tilting of his helmet, Roy nodded in a slight movement. He had her, telling Jason to focus on calming his men and getting them organized instead of where Ashley was at all times.

"Want to make a statement?" Roy grinned down at Ashley's half hidden face under her dark hood. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Aren't I already making one?" She tugged at the wrist bracers he wore on his forearms, to prevent him from any sort of back lash from his bows while also holding some small explosive pellets hidden in the lining. Roy grinned wider and she could see the red domino mask he wore shift as he winked from behind it.

"Depends, this is a little statement. Making sure you ain't messed with while we're around. Want to make a big one?" Roy had this shit eating smirk on his face and Ashley was starting to feel her spine going taut with apprehension. This was one of the few times Arsenal was actually with her and Jason when they were at the chapel, only showing up when he felt like it when the Hood needed him. So she wasn't accustomed to how he acted in front of Jason's men. She didn't know if he was just as much of an authority as Jason was or just someone who occasionally came by the chapel and helped out as muscle. There was so much she still needed to learn.

He doesn't say anything, instead turns some and heads toward Jason's high backed chair. Ashley's feet tried to stop but Roy just had a fuck ton more power in his legs then she did in her entire body. So she was dragged along until Roy is slumping down into the chair, his long legs wide and feet planted on the ground and he leans more to the left. His left elbow and arm supporting his weight as his right hand reaches out to Ashley's hip. His index finger hooks into her belt loop of her coat and pulls.

The next thing Ashley knows is that she's sitting on Roy's lap. His arm wrapped around her waist from behind. Her hood had fallen down to reveal the long length of her white and blonde hair. They're siting on Jason's chair. On the Outlaw King's throne.

Ashley doesn't have the frame of mind to even blush. Because Jason glances over to them, the crowd of men slowly turn to look at them both. Silence reigning inside the chapel as Arsenal pulled Dodge more onto his lap, a smirk on his lips as his left hand rose to cup his jaw as he looked back at them all. Jason only turned back to the rest of his men, giving no indication that what Roy and her were doing was wrong. When in fact, every man under the Hood's reign couldn't look away for long moments because Arsenal rarely sits in the chair, but Ashley was there. Dodge was there with Arsenal, on the King's throne.

"What the fuck are you all looking at?" The Hood's voice rose, several men backed even further away from the raised stage and everyone went back to taking orders from their leader. Jason was explaining how to use thin strips of paper and a drop of a mixed solvent that tell if any of their drinks or product have the toxin mixed inside.

Roy's thumb was running soothing circles on her hip, he could feel her spine taut with nerves and was slowly relaxing but not by much. Though her face was devoid of much but a light blush. Roy grinned, she was so cute. He rarely got to see a blushing woman anymore. Kori was so tan it was a miracle to put color on her cheeks. He liked it, more than he should have. Ashley was Jason's girl first, but they'd always been god with sharing.

When the orders were finally given and the men had calmed and left, Jason slowly stalked back to the raised stage. Roy rose, pulling Ashley with him, Jason sat down and Ashley was switched to Jason's lap. The blonde huffed and crossed her arms as Jason's thick muscled arm came around her hip to grip at her stomach, pulling her close to him. Roy chuckled at her exasperated expression, chucked her chin lightly before moving to lean his hip agaisnt the back of Jason's chair.

Ashley waited a moment before furrowing her brow and turning to look at Roy and then the gleam of Jason's helmet. They usually left after orders were given, or at least went to do something else. This time they were both just sitting there, as if waiting for something. The blonde chewed her lip for a moment but shrugged it off. She wasn't going to question Jason in front of hearing distance of anyone that could cause whispers in his men. She knew better than an action like that. A cigar burn on the back of her right thigh was a very good reminder to not speak when her voice wasn't needed. She was going for the whole, strong and silent type.

Jason moved Ashley to sit on his left thigh, her legs pointed towards his right leg. Making her not so much fully on his lap but still close enough for him to palm her hip. If he needed to stand, it wouldn't uproot her so harshly if she was caught by surprise. Mack came up to him some time later and gave him reports on his shipments, everything else was going smoothly otherwise. He'd have to replace the ones killed obviously, but there were actually plenty of men who wanted a steady paycheck, no matter the cost of legality or bloodshed. Jason would gladly foot the bill if it kept his people safe and his accounts growing.

The doors to the chapel swing open, some shouting form the guards outside were silenced into groans as someone strolled into the Outlaw's base. Jason's thigh underneath Ashley's legs tensed and she glanced at Jason, then towards the figure walking into the chapel. Several guns were trained on the figure and some words were shouted but all Ashley could see was the figure standing there. Her heart wrenched, and just like the moments she'd come into true contact with Starfire and Raven, her mind filled her with visions of animated stills and fanart.

This character wasn't as widely known, it was unknown to some even. But she remembered it all very clearly. Late Saturday nights, popcorn and cartoon network. Some of the most intense episodes of the Teen Titans she'd ever witnessed. Ashley wouldn't forget that white skull like helmet and the bright red 'X' slashed into the jaw. Silver utility belt and blackest black cape at his shoulders. This version was much taller, muscled and had the shoulders of an adonis. Not the lanky teenage one she'd seen animated on screen. But it was him, and Ashley knew exactly who it was under that skull like mask like helmet.

"Stand down." Jason's voice rose, the guns were slowly lowered and the figure strode casually over to the raised stage. Arms crossed over his chest, silvered metal bracers on his forearms. "Red X, been awhile. What are you doing here?"

"Can't an old friend stop by? Say hello?" Jason tilted his head to the side, his chin dipped into a nod and he stood, his hands on Ashley's hips. Once standing, Jason led them off the stage, Roy threw his arm over Ashley's shoulders again as they walked down the hall and toward the farthest room on the right. When it opened with a swipe of Jason's palm on a nearly perfectly blended metal plate into the wall, did Ashley realize it was the same room Kori had taken her from nearly a week ago.

With the door sealed shut behind them, Jason crosses his arms and glares, behind his helmet, at Red X. Ashley couldn't help but gawk, she was surprised her jaw wasn't wide open and catching flies. Just the sight of them alone made her heart flutter. Jason, god Jason in his full get up had her heart racing. But adding Roy, padded and masked, quiver of arrows on his back standing to the other side of Jason's muscled leather jacket covered shoulders. And then Red X, hands on hips and almost looking,... Sassy. Motherfucker looked sassy.

Ashley giggles, and it's so sudden and unthinkable that all three men turn to look at her. Roy, she could see raise an eyebrow beneath his red leather domino mask. Hood and Red X tilted their heads in exactly the same degree and same side, the left. And she lost it, lost it. (Seriously, imagine that shit oh my lord). Ashley started to giggle and cackle, one of her arms wrapped about her middle as the other pointed at all three of them. Her breath coming in wheezing gasps after a while and Jason finally stepped forward. His hands searching her pockets of her coats for the inhaler, Ashley wasn't any help trying to find it, still lost in her laughing fit of near insanity.

"I think we broke her? How did we break her?" Red X, his voice scrambled and more technological sounding from the helmet, tilted his head the other way while Roy only rolled his eyes and sat heavily in the one office chair in front of the computers.

"Easy, baby," Jason muttered from behind his helmet, grasping her chin in her shaky movements and forcing the inhaler past her lips to he could releases the breathing aide into her throat. Ashley coughed, gasped for a moment before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, making herself breath as Jason rubbed circles against her back. "Better?" Ashley nods, wiping tears from her eyes from her laughing fit. "Mind explaining why you're half insane?"

She chuckles softly, and notices how they all stiffen with worry that she might start another laughing fit. Jason's gloved hand brushes back some of her hair and she doesn't miss how Red X's helmet twists some. "I just had a moment of 'holy shit I'm in the same room as Red Hood, Arsenal and the fucking Red X'. I'm good." She smiles and hums up at Jason and he only shakes his head, the gleam of his helmet shining in the low light from the computer.

"Fucking crazy." Jason whispers just loud enough for her to hear and Ashley grins up at him.


	37. Chapter 37

Ashley sat on Jason's lap, it was quickly becoming the most common place he seemed to place her. Seeming to always grab her up instead of letting her stand on her own two feet. Dick smirked behind his mask, ignoring how tight some of the pieces were clinging to his more muscled body, and watched as Ashley simply let his brother manhandle her wherever he wished and liking it. He would leave it alone for now, teasing his only slightly younger brother would get them nowhere.

"What are you doing here X? I haven't seen that getup in a while." Jason spoke as he lifted his helmet from his face, his voice suddenly going back to his normal timber halfway through speaking, one of Ashley's hands reach up to run through his slightly sweat dampened hair and slick it back from his face. Not once did Jason flicker his gaze to her away from his brother, only using his other arm to slip around her waist and grip her hip to him.

Richard decided to take the helmet off, its older design not being as advanced as Jason's was. It didn't collapse on itself to become a thin metal plate just to fit over the face. It was still a full helmet, though thin, it sometimes caught his growing hair. Of course, he had much shorter hair last time he'd donned this suit. Rachel had tailored it as much as she could by herself, but Richard would have to sit down and do the rest himself. He couldn't risk taking it to Alfred or the suit makers with the League. They all thought Red X was taken down and never coming back again, years ago. He'd like to keep it that way.

Shaking his own shoulder length hair from his face, Richard held the skull faced helmet to his hip under his arm and grinned beneath the black domino mask on his face, the white blocking his eyes from view. Ashley bit her lip and he could see she was seconds away from laughing again. "Hey, no more breathing fits. You're only supposed to use that thing once a day."Jason reprimanded her from her side and she closed her eyes to calm herself.

"I'm here to lend a hand, if you need it." Silence rang out. Ashley froze, her giggling fit forgotten as her lips turns into a frown. Jason gripped at her hip so tightly, Ashley flinched and turned to look over her shoulder at him. While Roy's jaw clicked as his teeth clanked together. What Richard was offering, was dangerous. Not only to himself but his reputation with the League. Not to mention how... disappointed their father would be.

"Don't do this to yourself." Jason muttered from his seat, his grip lessening on Ashley's hip and instead rubbed his thumb against the skin there in apology but she stayed still on his lap. "Don't lose everything you've worked for just to get dragged through the mud with me." His tone took on a softer lilt and Ashley reached out to grip the hand at her hip, her fingers gliding over the worn leather over his hands.

"You're my brother Jason." Ashley could feel how Jason's chest seized all movement for a moment, like he was holding his breath.

"I'm going to risk everything to get this done." The hand at her hip gripped her again, not as violently as before but strong and steady. Seeking comfort and support she willingly gave wordlessly. "I won't let him live."

Richard nods. "I know." He takes a breath and looks to the side, as if he's examining the rows of guns and spare ammo lining the shelves. "A year after you died, I went after him myself." He turned once more to Jason. "I strangled him. He was dead." Ashley felt Jason's body tense once more, but this time he carefully pulled her from his lap and pushed her towards Roy's arms, pulling her away from Jason and to the side.

"Care to repeat that, big brother." Jason's voice dripped with venom, his fists clenched so tight at his sides that Ashley could hear the leather creak.

"Joker was dead. I killed him." Richard stared blankly at Jason for a long moment or two before he continued. "He took you away from me. My little brother." Jason's arms shook, the lock of his white hair falling from being flicked back and onto the bridge of his nose. Glaringly bright against his masked face. "Batman didn't want the blood on my hands, he showed up just behind me. Resuscitated him and sent him to Arkham, again."

Dick dodged the punch aimed at his chest, side stepping the kick that followed and narrowly missing the knife that wanted to embed itself into his stomach. Hands up, Richard showed no sign of fighting back so Jason stepped back, chest heaving with heavy breaths as he glared at his brother. He didn't want to hurt dick, not really. He was just so fucking enraged, he needed to spill blood. Could feel the fire in his veins burn brighter and hotter as the pit's power ran through him.

"You're tell me... That you killed the Joker... For me... and Batman just..." Richard nodded. He remembered that night very clearly. He was still with the titans. Still young and rash, but he'd always been one to follow the rules. Always kept his rage in check. But when Bruce had shown up, told him in person of Jason's death and who did it, how it had happened. He'd vanished from the face of the earth for so long. Bruce couldn't find him, and no one else could locate him. He'd been in Gotham for most of that time, tracking and stalking the clown. Using every skill Bruce had pounded into his mind to evade his own mentor for a year.

Richard felt no guilt for killing the bastard. It didn't frighten him one bit that he didn't care about killing the Joker. No, he wanted to do it. He wanted to feel the life of Joker as he strangled that bastard. He'd taken the one thing Richard held above everything. Above the Titans and even above Bruce. Above his own reputation as a Robin and a fighter for the people. The Joker had taken his little brother from him, Jason was fucking everything to Richard Grayson, and the Joker was going to pay. Because Bruce wouldn't do it, and Richard had enough rage in him to kill the fucker a hundred times over.

But then Bruce had come moments later, not witnessing the act but still watching as Richard continued to kick the Joker's broken face. The man was dead and Richard was still beating the fuck out of the dead body. But he'd thrown a rope bomb at Richard, tackling the teen to the ground and restraining him as Bruce had attempted cpr. The Joker breathed once more and Richard lost so much respect for his father in that moment. It took him anther two years himself to attempt to go back to how they were. But they never would be, he'd brought back the bastard that had killed Jason. That's something Richard would never forgive, and Bruce knew that.

Jason's fist come into contact with the brick wall. Dust and plaster fell to the ground, peppering over his glove as he panted for breath, pure anger coursing through his body. Causing him to tremble with energy for which he had no outlet. Richard stayed where he was, fighting Jason wouldn't solve anything and they'd get nowhere, so he didn't go forward no matter how much he wanted to. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Roy easily restrained Ashley, keeping her back facing Jason and her pinned to his body while Jason calmed. Even though she clearly wanted to go to him, Richard thanked Roy silently at keeping the blonde at bay. No one was safe until Jason's rage had eased, even the pretty little woman that had Jason wanting to wage war with the League.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jason's voice was so low and it rumbled so deeply in his chest that it sounded like a feral growl.

"Because I knew you wanted the honor. After you came back... I decided not to tell you." Richard saw Jason's chest was evening out with his slower breathing and took the chance. Going forward to clasp his hand over Jason's shoulder, the man didn't rear back to sock him in the jaw so he took it as a sign. "He's yours to kill Jason."

It took a few more minutes of silently steaming before Jason stood back to his full height, just scant inches taller than Richard, and turned to face his brother. In a small movement of very not Jason like fashion, he reached out and gripped Richard's opposite shoulder of his own for a moment. Just a second and the two dropped their hands. Words didn't need to be expressed between the two of them, they rarely ever did. They were just that close.

"I'll come in when you need me. Skirting around the League by yourself won't be easy." Jason grunted in response to that but nodded, stalking quickly over to take Ashley from Roy's arms and pull her close to him. Hip to hip and chest to chest. His gloved fingers tangled in the thick hair at the nape of her neck while he holds her to his side possessively. Softly whispering into her hair so low neither of the other males could hear him.

"They're gonna flip when they see that suit, X." Richard only grinned and flicked his dark hair back with a jerk of his head.

"I'm counting on it." With a little grunting he got the helmet back on and Jason finally twitched his lips with something other than a frown.

"You need some updated gear." Richard only rose an eyebrow beneath his helmet but then chuckled and nodded. Pinching at the very clinging fabric and armored pads on his abdomen.

"You've no idea how tight this thing is, I can't feel my balls at this point." That got everyone to release a soft chuckle and some of the tension left the four of them.

"Can't be as tight as that fucking onesie you wear on patrol. Your ass is more recognizable than my helmet." Richard barked out a laugh and placed his hands on his hips. "If you bring me the blueprints, I can probably update that mask for you." Richard nodded, squaring his shoulders and losing his casual stance he'd had.

"See you later, Hood." He waved as he left through the alley door.

When the door shut Ashley found herself enveloped in both of Jason's thick, leather clad arms, squished against his chest and hips. His nose buried in her hair as he hugs her tight to his bullet proofed chest. Her right side is pressed roughly on the butt of Jason's pistol but she ignores the pinch it causes while her arms raise to slide under his leather jacket and around his waist. Her fingers barely touching tips at his back, fuck he was wide. Jason just breathed her in, holding her for a few minutes. Ashley could just make out his racing heartbeat against her ear.

Jason lifted his head to Roy. "Mind taking her home? I've got work to do." Roy shook his head, he didn't mind at all.

"I can't stay with you?" Jason leans back just enough to reach out a hand and cup her jaw in his long fingered grip, shaking his head at her.

"You're not ready to keep up with me." Ashley huffs, her eyes narrowing from behind a thin lock of her white bangs.

"I would be if you were teaching me anything." Jason growls, leans down and bites into her bottom lip. When she gasps in surprise he takes her mouth in his, dominating her with just a kiss and he feels her knees lean into his leg as they grow weak. Pulling back she's flushed and panting softly, a wide blown look in her eyes. "Not fair.."

"Too bad." Jason kisses her one more time, enough that she's growing dizzy from the lack of oxygen to her straining lungs. Grinning as he leans back, he swipes his thumb beneath her bottom lip, swollen from his teeth. "Tomorrow well go to the range." Her eyes light up some more and he passes her over to Roy, his helmet crawling back to cover his entire head as he turns and leaves the room.

"Come on, Dodge." Roy tugged on her hood and righted her hair underneath it before they left the locked room through the alley instead of walking through the chapel. The guards outside giving Arsenal a nod as he pulled Ashley onto the back of the bike behind him and took off into the night. The sound of the monstrous bike beneath him fading into the shadows and echoing through the alleys.

When he could no longer hear the bike and his scanners confirmed that the tracker in Arsenals suit was indeed at Roy and Kori's apartment, Jason called attention to his leftover men he hadn't given a job to earlier. His best and brightest. "We're on the hunt boys. Don't get fucking caught. You get caught, you're on our own. I don't pay for stupidity." One of the older teen gulped loudly and Jason tilted his helmet in the kid's direction, scaring the hell out of the kid as the helmet gleamed. It's the entire reason Jason used the damn thing. There's no way to judge his facial expression, no way to know just who exactly he was looking down his nose toward. The kid stood taller and gave a nod.

"You're looking for any sign of the Joker. His minions, anything you find I want reported to myself, Arsenal or Mack, if either of us aren't here." Some grumbles still made their way to his ears and Jason waited a moment.

"No offense boss but, why are we looking for the Joker? Isn't he more.. The Bat's problem?" Jason nodded, listening to their opinions. His hands on his hips as they all quieted down.

"We are not after him. You are only looking for him, finding his hideout if you can. I'll take it from there." They all exchanged looks.

"That's fine boss, we don't mind tracking him but... Why are you after the Joker? You've got no beef with him." The Red hood stood very still and didn't answer them right away.

"He's taken some good men from me, good women who didn't deserve to die like that. Now, fucking do it." Jason turned and strode from the chapel, his bike screeching angrily on the salted roads as he sped away from the curb.


	38. Chapter 38

"She asleep?" His voice soft and low as Roy greeted him at the door to his and Kori's apartment. It was five a.m. and he was exhausted. But he didn't want to leave her here to wake up without him. It was easier to just pick her up ad head back to his own apartment.

"Yeah, been out awhile too." Roy led him further inside and to the hallway that led to the back bedroom. His apartment not unlike Jason's just a bit smaller. Ashley was curled up with Kori on the big bed, the alien's arms wrapped around the blonde's torso as Ashley slept peacefully. Their hair meshing together all around their shoulders. Roy leaned his shoulder on the door frame as Jason stepped into the room and gave Kori a soft kiss on the cheek before moving over to Ashley.

"Ash... Come on baby, wake up.." Ashley takes a moment to stir, Kori's hands are running up and down her arms while Jason's fingers stroke back her tangled white and blond locks that are covering her face. A soft huff leaves her lips and she snuggled further into Kori's breasts making the red head chuckle as she too wakes.

Ashley's eyes blink open finally and meet Jason's blue green depths. "There she is..." Ashley closes her eyes as Jason gently pulls her to sit up, his arm supporting her because she's not fully awake. "Let's go home baby." Ashley only groans and attempts to fall back into Kori's warmth but Jason just grabs her up and cradles her in his arms, stepping from the bedroom and towards the lift doors where her coat and boots are waiting for her.

Roy slips on her boots and ties them haphazardly, just enough so they'll last the ride over to Jason's, while Jason helps her into her shoes. She's starting to wake up more but it's hard going and Roy chuckles at her, leaning over to nuzzle into her shoulder and kiss her cheek sweetly. "She's so fucking adorable.." Jason smirks and nods, zipping up her coat and adding her scarf around her neck before pulling the hood up over her head. "That colds gonna wake her up."

Jason didn't give a response except reaching over to ruffle Roy's red curls and then leading Ashley to his bike. Sitting her backwards on the seat he climbs in facing the correct way and wraps her legs loosely around his hips. Her arms secured around his torso as he backs his bike back into the lift and waves to Roy as he starts moving downwards. The bite of the cold air outside roused Ashley enough to cling to Jason instead of siting against him weakly, and with that Jason raced through what shadowed alleys were left as the sun started to rise.

As the lift of his own building closed shut behind him, Jason sighed and relaxed his aching back, cradling Ashley's head to his neck as she clung sleepily to him. Everyday something bout her just amazed him. This time, she nearly slept through the bike ride back to his apartment. She had no fear in her of the motorcycle below her and trusted in his skills completely to get them safely to where they needed to go as fast as Jason deemed necessary. He can't count how many times he's turned a corner and his knee has been scraped by the pavement he's leaned over so sharply. But years on the back of motorcycles had given him the skills needed to know his machine and know the roads like the back of his hand.

"Hey com'on, let's get to bed." Ashley nods once, but doesn't move to climb off of him, instead Jason grins and grips the back of her thighs, pulling her to him as he stands and steps off the bike. His shoes were damp from the snow clumps they'd collected but he'd clean the floors... at some point probably, and carried Ashley to the easy chair. Setting her down and helping her out of her boots and coat before he even took off his own.

"..time is it?" Jason tugs off the scarf from her neck and tosses it to the couch not caring where it fell.

"Just before six." She groans and Jason leans forward to press a kiss to her brow before standing and pulling his leather off. Shaking his head he watches as Ashley slowly falls to the side and curls into the arm of the big chair. Free of his boots and heavy armor plating, Jason picks up Ashley once more, he really doesn't mind. She just fits against his chest so well, he likes holding her like this. Slowly, Jason peels back her clothes until she's bare before him in her panties, she doesn't even wait for him to push a shirt onto her bare torso. Ashley just slumps to her side and curls into the blankets and sheets. He smirks softly.

Jason climbs into his bed, groaning as the cool sheets meet his now bare legs. He's tired, just plain and entirely, exhausted. He's been getting less sleep lately, more energy drinks and coffee. His body didn't like the bad nutrition and he didn't like how he felt lethargic and without energy. The power from the pit would keep him strong yes, but that wouldn't stop this feeling of exhaustion. Jason turned to his side and pulled Ashley's sleeping form to him, her head nestled just perfectly under his chin while his arms encased her to him, their legs winding together. He took a deep breath of her and sighed, closing his eyes to the silence of the apartment and Ashley's slow breathing.

"Your stance is shit." Ashley huffs and drops her shoulders, placing the gun back on the table in front of her and glaring over her shoulder at Jason. They'd been here no more than a half hour, less than ten bullets fired and she was already done with his snarly attitude.

"Dude!" Jason only rolls his eyes and comes forward. Hand on her hip and the other pressing on her breast bone to pull her back straighter and her knees a bit further apart.

"Your feet have to be planted far enough apart that any kind of recoil won't shove you to your feet. Keep your back straight, so that you won't injure your spinal cord of you do get hit with recoil." Satisfied with her stance, Jason stepped away again and motioned for her to continue. Another few shots before Jason gently corrected her back where she had started leaning to the side.

He watched her empty an entire clip into the paper at the end of the indoor range. Her groups weren't bad and her aim wasn't awful. But he could tell the weapon in her hands made her a bit nervous, the weight of the gun was just too heavy for her delicate wrists. "Hang on a sec." Jason gently took the gun from her, his movement slow so she could see how he put the safety back on, emptied the chamber and then pulled the clip from the gun. Setting it down to the side he moved over to the wall of weapons at the back wall behind them. It had a small array of weapons you could rent to practice with.

He'd given her something similar to his own in style and size but she was having difficulty with holding it for more than a minute or two. That wasn't good in a fire fight if you weren't on par with your weapon or if your weapon wasn't on par with you. Rubbing his chin Jason grabbed a much smaller pistol, it felt dwarfed in his hands but was much lighter and the trigger wasn't so far for her pointer finger to reach. Grabbing the ammo that went with it Jason went back to her and let her see how he loaded the gun before handing it to her.

"Try this one." He only needed to correct her stance a fraction, she remembered to keep her feet planted. When she was ready Jason stepped back and crossed his arms as he watched her. The gun was much easier for her to lift, and in turn her groups were far tighter than they were with the heavier pistol before.

Satisfied she liked this one with how she was already reloading it by herself with hardly any difficulty. Jason decided to just watch her again. She was wearing dark wash skinny jeans, the fabric tight on her legs and showing off the wide set of her hips with the curving globe of her ass. Jason rubbed at his chin, realizing he should shave soon, as he simply stared at her ass for long moments. It was a very nice rear end, the kind you see in exercise commercials. Ashley moved her weight to one leg as she bent somewhat over the table to fill her gun once more and Jason nearly groaned as she caught the flex of muscles beneath the taut fabric. He reached up and bit at his knuckles gently to keep himself in check, she was driving him fucking insane.

"Is my stance okay?" Jason's gaze flicked up to Ashley's and he caught the chesire cat grin her lips were turned into. She purposefully messed up her footing, shifting from foot to foot and continued to get it wrong. Grinning, Jason stepped up behind her, pressing against her hips and the backs of her legs. His palm pressing against the tops of her thighs to press her into his strong legs and hips as he corrected her stance once more. "Oh okay, like this?" She gave a roll of her hips and the moan Jason released into her ear had a shiver run up her spine.

"I think that's enough for today..." Jason growled, and quickly unloaded the gun for her onto the table and left the ammo and guns in the booth like the owner had asked when they'd walked in over an hour ago. Taking her hand in his gloved one, because he was not gonna leave his prints anywhere in Bludhaven, Jason pulled her out of the range and to the closest alley he could find that didn't smell like vomit and piss.

Her back hit the brick wall but he didn't stop there, not until he'd grabbed her hips and moved her up the wall. When she was eye level with him Jason wrapped her legs around his wide waist and pressed into her to hold her there while his teeth marked her neck. Her hand's tangled in his hair, making the ball cap and beanie on his head sit sideways as she panted softly into his shoulder. Satisfied he'd bit every inch of skin he could currently get to, Jason pulled back and grinned wolfishly down at Ashley's softly panting face.

"Does everything I do fucking turn you on?" Jason barks out a laugh, gently letting her down but making sure she was pressed against his crotch as he slid down his body. Fuck she's short. Ashley rights her scarf and knit cap, pulling the hood up on her coat.

"Yup." Jason only smirks, grabs her hand and starts out of the alley, righting his hats as he moves. The streets are packed but Jason has this aura about him, people seem to give him a bubble of space and he's fine with that. It makes sure Ashley is tucked to his side and under his arm, safe. Even Bludhaven had its assholes and theives. He wasn't going to let his gaurd down.

"Are we going to visit Rachel and Richard? Since we're in the city?" Ashley asks softly and Jason pauses, slows his steps. He wasn't planning on it, however, he had heard the hope in Ashley's voice. The blonde had taken a liking to the dark haired woman Richard was engaged to, hell he liked Rachel a lot anyways, she was good people.

"Why the hell not?" In a show of absolute domesticity, Ashley leaned up, grabbed his chin softly in her gloved hand and kissed his cheek. Jason turned it into a full blown kiss by moving down and touching his lips to her own. Stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, people walking around the two kissing like fucking soulmates. "Making me fucking soft and shit." Jason nipped at her lips before pulling back and changing their direction to the north and the soon to be Grayson's apartment.

Jason's phone was in his free hand, the other securely wrapped about Ashley's waist to clasp her hip in his grip. Putting the phone to his ear he waited for the ringing to get picked up.

"Hello? Jason?" Dick's voice was confused and Jason almost grinned, his brother wouldn't expect them to just show up for no other reason then to see them.

"We're in the city, how about lunch?" He could hear a female voice in the background and some whispering on the other end.

"This is a surprise, of course we can do lunch."

Jason didn't give dick a chance to say anything else. "Cool, we're nearing your building now." He ended the phone call and had to surprise a shudder. His grip on Ashley's hips making her glance up at him with hose bright eyes of hers. He only winked and continued on his way to the apartment district that Dick called home in Bludhaven.

Some insecurities in the back of his mind, long forgotten and buried seemed to be trying to sprout back up to his concious. It's been years since he tried to be brotherly with even Dick. Longer than he was able to sit with his family for more than few minutes without trying to kill one of them, lovingly fo course, maybe, not really, kinda. His actions these past six years have been fucking hell and that's putting it lightly. And he was suddenly changing his actions, suddenly wanting to willingly spend time with his brother.

Jason glanced down at Ashley's pink tinged cheeks as a gust of wind blew her long hair around her face and scarf covered neck. The brightness in her eyes as she people watches while they walk. A little upturn to the corner of her lips signaling she was thinking about something that made her smile or she was just generally in a good mood. The little plumpness to her lips from when he'd kissed her not long ago.

/What the fuck am I doing.../


	39. Chapter 39

Maybe give a glimpse to waht jokers foing behind the scenes

Possibly have a grainy picture of asleyw ith jason n front of the chaple

Rats squeaked adn scuried about, watching with beaded eyes as heavy steps clmber up meetal grated steps towads an uneven card table. Laden with papers, half contrustced guns and bloodies nives. A purple powder speckled over the sheets and blades. Glove covered hands laid palm down on the mess, a gingle gun asta int he center of the table. Glemaing white and silver, card symbols etehed into the barrel. Lovae and hate carved itno either side. A little dried blood still clinging to the side of it.

With the flickering light of a half screwed in bulb, papers are slowly pushed to and fro, until a grainy picture peeked from an egde. Suddenly hands grbebd it and slammed it back donw ont op of the rest of the table. Severla apges and parts fo guns felel to the floo with a clatter, usetting the rats that ahd been nibbling on the pages alrad on the floor.

Dark blonde hair, creamy streak of white, braided together, just barely peeking from neaneath a dark hood. A strong arm wwrapped about the waomns shoudlers, leading up to a ball cap poorly hiding a square jaw. The hands holding the picture gripped so tight, the pictures staretd to crumpple at the edges in the fists.

"little bird little bird..."

"so far from the nest..."

A heafty cackle strated to rise from chapped lips. A hand dropping its grip and going for naother ictrure, clearer and colored. Nrigt eyes glacing up tot he elft, takign in the city around them, fiery hair barely contined by her compaion as theyw alked across streets and passed the person behind the camera. Not even seeing the man, disguised as part of the polive force, snapping photos as they passed the parked cop cars.

Hands clapped toghter as the cackle raised in volujem to terrifying levels.

"what have you found little bird..."

"a pretty little sparrow... My robin has found..."

Beneath the papers and gun parts, now scattered tot eh floor, gloved hands picked up a crowbar. Stained deep red from the midddle and around the hooked end.

"so nice of you to find a replacement... "

Fingers twiled the crowbar and lips grinned as the bulb flickered above.


	40. Chapter 40

"Something isn't right..." The Red Hood prowled the rooftop of the chapel, pacing back and forth, staring at his phone. On the other side of the rooftop stood Red X, Richard's eyes narrowing behind his own face plate as Jason paced. The radio silence from the apartment, Roy and Kori, had the eldest Wayne feeling a grim pressure at the base of his neck.

"I'll go check it out..." Jason didn't even stop his pacing as Red X vaulted off the side of the building, using the power in his suit to catch himself and fling his body back and forth. Making sure his movements looked less lithe and fluid than he was naturally.

Jason kept up his acing, looking out of the skyline of the city and nearly crushing his phone in his fist as he set his helmets interface to call the landline hidden in the apartment for emergency purposes. It only kept ringing. His skin felt cold and clammy. The readings at the bottom screen told him a call from Richard's new helmet was calling his own.

"Hood?..." Jason nearly rolled his eyes, of course it was him but something in Dick's voice cause him to pause.

"Yeah.." with baited breath he waited for Richard to say something else.

"Your place isn't trashed but, someone's been here. Cut through the steel plates on the lift." Jason tried to level his own breathing so he could hear Dick talking to him. His helmet felt too tight, his armor squeezing the breath out of him.

"Dammit..." Some whispering and muttering about the helmets new tools had Richard mumbling for moment. "Okay, readings say that there was a gas in here, mostly dissipated now."

"Is anyone there?"

Some soft moans and a heavy cough signaled more voices. "Yeah, Arsenal and Artemis are here... I don't see Dodge.."

Jason's feet stopped their pacing and he placed his fists on the roof ledge at his hips, a low snarl on his throat as rage stated to gather inside of him. "She's not here Jay..."

The both of them were silent for several moments but the call didn't cut out just yet. "Hood, there's a playing card on the counter.." An image came through in the bottom of his interface and Jason's lips pulled back into a sneer. A regular, normal playing card of the joker. Nothing else, no note or hidden message. But the message was plain as day. He was back and He had Ashley.

"Are they okay?" Barely containing his rage, Jason asked about his closest friends and lovers.

"Yeah, they're fine. Waking up slow, but fine otherwise." Jason cut the call just then, raised his head to the sky, and roared out his anger until he was hoarse. Chest heaving with heavy breathing as his hands closed into tight fists at his sides.

Staring out into the night sky of Gotham, Jason sneered at it all. The bastard did the one thing he shouldn't have. The one thing that would seal his own death. Joker stole Jason's girl.

Without caring for how it could injure his legs, Jason leaped down the fire escape, dropped the last story and landed with a thud. His bike roared to life and tires pun on salted roads as he went to his apartment. The machine fell to its side, engine shutting itself off as it clashed to the bricks by the lift. Strong hands climbed up the emergency ladder just inside the lift, the machine itself busted on the ground and scorch marks where torches had cut through the steel and iron.

Red X's body stood by the kitchen island, Kori and Roy still holding their heads and shaking off the gas that had been pushed into his home. Behind his helmet he met their eyes and got small nods of them being alright before he stalked slowly to the island. Ashley's necklace was there, the ruby breasted hawk lined in diamonds, sat atop the playing card on his marbled counter.

Jason picked up the necklace with more care than he'd shown before, and handed it with its now broken chain to Kori who took the silver and jewels. His hand picked up the playing card and tapped the edge gently on the counter-top, a million and thirteen things and ideas running through his head at how to approach this. There were half a dozen scenarios going though his mind at how the League would tackle this situation, all included Ashley far, far from him. The card was crushed in his fist.

"Orders boss.." Roy spoke, his voice hoarse from the gas but he finally stood tall, his fingers tight around his crossbow. Waiting for Jason's plan, ready to follow the blue eyed male to hell and back.

"Take Artemis to the chapel, see where the system was hacked into. Someone got passed the firewalls. Find out who." Roy nodded then he and the alien left, Kori glancing back at the brothers left in the kitchen of the broken into apartment.

Roy's bike started up and left, the rumble quickly growing faint until all that was left was the sounds of the city in winter. Richard stepped forward once and crossed his arms, glancing around the apartment for anything else but he'd already searched it three times before Jason had come crashing in. He watched as Jason's fist was still as stone, the man his brother was did not shake or falter as he stood to his full height and turned his chin to look at Richard through the red faced helmet he wore.

"Are you sure?" Such a loaded question with a simple answer.

"Always." Richard held out his hand as Jason clasped onto his forearm, the both of them gripping tight for a moment in a silent pact.

Then Jason's off, into the lift to the bottom floor with Richard at his back, the both of them forcing the lift doors closed once more and instead of the codes, used a thick chain and padlock. It would be fine for now. Jason had few possessions that mattered, his men knew to leave the alley alone. Which begs the question, was there a rat or two in his men? Could someone have been bought out? Was there a crack in his foundation?

"Wakey, wakey, little bird!" A sharp slap from a gloved hand struck the blonde's face and the sudden pain of it roused her from her as induced unconscious state. With a gasp she flew her head back, the momentum throwing her body off balance. Her arms straining to hold up her body weight, toes barely touching the ground beneath her.

"What?" Her voice, scratchy and faint, whispered past her lips as she blinked the blurriness away from her vision. The clink of chains sounded and she looked up, her hands in thick metal cuffs locked tight on her wrists and hooked to a heavy construction chain, the links thicker than her own fingers. Squeaking brought her vision to the corner to her side and she nearly shrieked, rats the size of daschunds were scurrying about in the flickering light of the bare bulbs above her.

Gently swaying from side to side, the blonde blinked and her head drooped to her chest for another moment. A deep purple glove over a large hand quickly gripped her chin and yanked her forward, her body swaying in the chains above her head and her eyes grew wide without her permission. The toxic green eyes shone brightly mere inches from her own. Scars ripped from the corner of lips, pale as white skin looked pasty and flaking in places. Greasy dark green hair slicked back.

"My my, what a pretty little bird you are." The grip on her chin was bruising. It was not with the intent to just hold her tight, no, it's harsh. It was meant to crack the bone of her jaw beneath his strength and she could feel it, the strength barely contained in this long fingers holding her chin.

This was the man who had killed Jason. This man who, no matter what movie or show or artwork she looked at, would crepe her out to no end. His eyes may be bright but they were soulless, chaotic and shadows danced in the pupils. This man who killed for the sake of testing morals and people's hearts.

Her worst fear stood in front of her and all Ashley could do was narrow her gaze and bare her teeth at the onster before her. She knew better then to give in to fear. Her own flesh and blood had taught her to fight, to stop being meek in the face of danger. If she was going to die so be it, but she would not go down without a damned fight. Jason would want her to fight, to survive. Resolve settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Not a sparrow or a robin..." He seemed to mumble to himself, his fingers twisting her chin to and fro. Looking her features over with a critical eye. His fingers left her china to thread roughly into the meshed white and blonde locks of her hair. Yanking it forward and making the blonde see stars as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming at the sudden pain. The burning in her scalp forcing her eyes to water unwanted.

"But what pretty feathers you have." He was crazy... Ashley's body froze as much as it could as his other hand brandished a knife, the blade looking dull and worn. A sickly rusted color to the blade that meant it was never cleaned and was used to do nothing more than inflict pain. With her hair in his fist Ashley kept still and wide eyed, ready to already start thrashing if he started carving into her. But, he only yanked her hair once more and then cut through the mixed locks in his fist.

With a deep inhale he scented her now cut bangs in his fist and grinned. Turned his back and laid the lock of hair in a table covered with things Ashley couldn't tell from this far away. His back turned, and Ashley looked frantically around her. The chains were far too thick and heavy for her to even attempt to break out of, her feet weren't bound but her boots were now gone and her socked toes could find no purchase on the slimy floor. She knew she was in some sort of warehouse, it was dark so it had to be night or all the windows were blacked out. Most likely she could scream all she wanted but no one would hear her. Fuck.

"What do you want?" Stupid, cliche question it was, it caused him to turn his head and smile widely at her. Rotten yellow teeth, sharp teeth, gleamed under the flickering lights and Ashley fought back the nausea rising in her stomach at the sight of his smile. No fanart or cosplayer or movie could prepare her for the real thing standing there in the flesh.

He only hummed, licked his lips and slowly turned back to her, his hand slowly dragging off the table and the low screeching sound of metal grating on metal came from his hidden hand behind his back before he walked more forward and she saw the curved metal in his hand. The rusted color of the metal, the hooked end which should be sharp, is dented in as if hit against something over and over again. Her face paled and she wriggled more on her chains, causing her toes to lose what little purchase they had and her to start swinging gently back and forth and a bit in a circle.

"Conditioning, little bird." He grinned, gently slapped the crowbar into the open palm of his other hand a few times. Smiling wider and wider as every smack left Ashley flinching and the fear to seep into her features no matter what she tried to do to hide it. "Now, we'll start simple, who is the Batman." Confusion carried to her face and when she didn't immediately respond, he drew his arm back, and swung.


	41. Chapter 41

Ashley remembered almost everything that happened, the night her brothers attacked her. There were a few instances she started to black out, but for the most part she remembered it all. The funeral for their father was nearly over, she had to sit between them all in the chairs just before the coffin. Like the little daughter that shouldn't open her mouth. Towards the end of her fathers life she started to really figure out what he had been. And like every Law and Order or SVU she'd ever seen on television. The daughter of the mob boss usually never knew anything until the very last possible moment, never knowing until she was too far in to ever claw her way back out again. So when her father's coffin was lowered into the ground, and her elbow was grabbed by her eldest brother, Johnathon, and she was pulled to his sports car. She knew something was vastly wrong, but with no voice in the 'family', who would look to protect her? No one.

It took them two days to realize she didn't have the stomach to kill or do the work their father had taught them all. They had taunted her all her life that she was spoiled and stupid. She'd never realized what it meant to make the money they all swam in. A drug deal meant to teach her, see if she had the guts to do anything. She failed, sloppy and untrained, they knew she would fail. It was all staged, all of it. Meant to make the rest of the 'family' her father ran think she was ambushed on her first solo deal and her brothers meant to find her.

Her brothers let her think it was all real, until the clip in her handgun was empty and she dropped the searing hot metal as it smoked to the ground. Her palm burned from the constant firing and no idea how to handle the piece given to her. As it clattered to the floor a force like a train hit her in the back of the ribs and she fell, screaming, to the dirty warehouse floor by the docks. Her bleary pain filled eyes looking up to find all three of them hovering over her, the heavy iron crowbar being passed to the next, from Johnathon to Ashton, and they stepped over her.

The pain in her ribs was bad, but as she'd lifted her hands to protect her head, they had been hit next, breaking a couple fingers and possibly her wrist. Over and over, they took their time, and when she started to black out, a sharp pain in her arm. A used needle thrown to the ground, they'd shot her up with something, she'd later learn it had to be adrenaline, to keep her awake. And they kept on.

And when they were finished with the crowbar, her upper back was littered with oozing welts and wounds, Zachary came forward with the weapon, the brother closest to her age but older than her by ten years. He had knelt at her crying and bloody form, grasped her chin almost sweetly and then stood up, acting as if he was squaring up a shot of golf. And hit her head, just above her hair line slightly to the right. The pain itself was unbearable, made only worse by the forced consciousness and her blood pumping harder through her veins and heart. Her blood pooling underneath her. A shot rang out, she'd no idea where it hit but she'd hoped she would die then and there.

She didn't.

When Joker hits her, she expects the pain. It brings back all the strength she wished she would have had the night her brothers attempted to murder her. It hits, just above the knee to the side on her left. It hurts, horribly. But he'd missed her kneecap and it was likely just dislocated the joint instead of bashing it to shards inside of her own flesh. Her eyes narrowed through pain filled teary eyes but she kept her mouth shut. And when he started cackling at her, she stiffened and waited for another hit. Refusing to answer his question. She promised Superman while under the lasso, she would not utter a word.

"Good girl!" He clapped and tossed the crowbar to the ground at his feet, instead coming forwards and grasping both of her cheeks in his wide palms and squeezing tightly. "Do you know... what I hate?..." When she didn't respond he grinned and breathed heavy, hot air against her face, making her shudder at the putrid breath he had. "I hate.. mmm I hate tattle tails... And you passed the test!"

He releases her face and she takes a blessed breath of air that's not his heavy disgusting breath. Breathing through the pain in her knee, he picks the crowbar up and drops it back to the table across from her. Humming gently a song as he rustles through the mess on the table. Searching for something and as he does, her eyes are looking once more up and around her, for something anything. But there's nothing, not even minions or lackies nearby, there's no one but the two of them. And that scares her more by the second.

"Aha!" Her gaze whips back to him and he's got a pair of rusted scissors, the comical kind that are just too big to really do anything with. But the edge of the blade is shiny compared to the rest of them and that means to her its sharpened. She struggles anew but the Joker shushes her, reaches up and grasps her long hair in his fist, wrenching it back and bending her neck backwards to near breaking levels of pain. Holding her there as she gasps for breath. Its hard to take in air like this. "Be still little bird."

Her stomach flinches as she felt the edge of the scissors slip under her sweater, Jason's sweater, and starts to slowly cut away that and the thin thermal tank top underneath it. But she stays still as she can, breathing heavy and feeling more lightheaded by the minute because with her head pulled back like it is she can't get a full breath in like she needs. Then the scissors go up each arm to her cuffs and her sweater is hanging in pieces from her shoulders. Its pulled from her body and she feels the muggy air around her. Really noticing for the first time that she doesn't feel the harsh bite of the cold right now. She's somewhere where there's either electricity or heat, maybe underground.

He wa;ls to her back, still holding her hair in his fist but instead he pushes her face forward and she whimpers that time, the pain in her scalp is bad. The edge of the scissors glides over the raised scars over her back and she struggles, wanting to kick out at him. She wants him to not touch them. The nerves under a few of them are so sensitive that even Jason steers clear of them, its like a shot of ice as the edge of the scissors open and the sharp blade edge glides over one of the longer scars.

"Don't you fucking touch me, you disgusting prick!" She screams, picks her good leg up, bends her knee and them kicks back. She catches just the top of his hip and he does stumble but he never lets go of her hair and instead laughs hysterically as he lets himself fall. Picking himself back up by using his hand in her hair as a handle.

Ashley screams like a banshee that's been sliced open with a katana.

"That's right, scream little bird... Scream." He laughs, louder and louder as he straightens and laughs into the back of her neck while he keeps holding her hair in his hand, the other running the scissors to slice open the scars on her back. Using the raised lines as a sort of connect the dots deal without ever leaving her skin. And every time he changed directions he presses a little bit harder as he twists the scissors in his grip.

"Ask me nicely... And I'll stop.." He drew harsher on the scar he was tracing forcing Ashley to gasp for breath, her spine locking up so tight it hurt.

"Fuck...you..." She grits out as he goes to another scar, she grips the chins holding her to the cuffs. Pushing her own nails into her skin so she can focus on that and not the mad man using her back as a paint by number.

"You're just like him.." He sneers into her ear and suddenly she's pushed, hair let go and now swinging from side to side, making her dizzy and wanting to throw up as the pain is ebbing to a throb in her back. But she's grabbed by the belt loops of her pants and he's pulling her flush against his chest and stomach. Ashley wants to throw up at him touching her. "Just like my little Robin." He grinned at her, blood running cold at the hungry look in his eyes.

"He was such a bad boy, my Robin, turning on me like that. Killing my Queen." He just smirked and drew the scissors to the middle of her bra, snapping them closed and the fabric and wire gave way. Ashley started to kick out at him, ignoring her injured knee and screaming like a banshee.

"You will be a decided improvement to him, my little bird. I'll do a much better job of fixing you." Ashley screamed as his hand shoved into her jeans, grabbed a handful of both her panties and jeans then pulled down, hard. The thick fabric gave way and ripped down her thighs like split butter. She kicked and she screamed, but her hits just didn't phase the bastard as her dropped the scissors and grabbed the crowbar once more.

He reeled back some, loosely holding it behind and over his shoulder, grinning at her and starting to laugh as he watched her writhe and try to get away when she was so obviously caught with no way out. "Now, smile for Daddy, and I won't hit you too hard..." He started laughing once more and swung his arm.

It hit her right bicep, she heard the crunch of bone and the pain bogged her mind. Her screams were shrill and she hated it. Blearily, in the back of her mind, she hated how she sounded like some blonde bimbo from a horror movie, but then she realized what the fuck she was thinking and well. She was a blonde bimbo in a fucking horror movie now.

"Smile sweetheart, smile for Daddy." She sneered, baring her teeth like some rabid animal. She was not playing his mind games, she was not giving in that his crazy. "Ttch, what a disobedient thing you are. Well, looks like I'll have to punish you." The bar fell to the floor with a clattering clang and he turned to his table, grabbing something and coming back to her. This time with a bright blue colored box cutter. His thumb flicked the button and a fresh new blade sprung to the end of the tool.

"Smile, little bird, or I'll put one on your pretty face permanently..." He cackled and Ashley was frozen for all of two seconds before she felt her lips bringing themselves up into a crooked, tear stained smile. "Good girl!" As a reward, he slashes at her stomach with the blade. Her smile vanished as an ear splitting scream echoed around the empty room.

"See? Daddy's so good to you!"

Blinking back tears, Ashley did the only thing she could think of, she opened her mouth and she screamed.

"JASON!"


	42. Chapter 42

He felt a shot of ice run down his spine.

Three days since her abduction. Two days until the League contacts him to check up on her. They haven't told Bruce. No one knows but the five of them. Jason, Richard, Kori, Roy and Rachel. All convened over a table set up in the back of the chapel. In the locked room that no one could get into expect Roy or Jason. Maps and photos littered over the surface. Lead after lead running into dead ends and a small stack of Joker cards starting to pile up. Finding each one after every lead. Leading them astray, on a wild goose chase.

He was toying with them. With the Hood.

He felt a shot of ice run down his spine. And as he glanced up at the wall, blinking back the chill in his bones. The date came to him, sprouting from the calender tacked to the brick wall. Jason stood fully, hands shaking before he slammed them to the table before them all, scattering papers and pens to the floor. A few playing cards fluttering to lay over the ground.

"Fuck!... FUCK!" He panted, fear pouring through him as he stared wide eyed at the table down before him. Richard looked to the calender, eyes now wide as he whipped his head to look at Jason's barely controlled rage filled body.

Today was the anniversary. The day Jason was killed. Down to the near hour. The ice in his body made sense now.

"The warehouse... That's where we need to go." He looked up at Richard.

"How? There's nothing there Jason. It was blown to pieces." Jason slammed his hand down again on the table, fingers formed into a fist.

"Then under it! Something! We have to find her! He's going to fucking slaughter her!" Flashes invaded his mind. The pain, the mind games. The sick sadistic ways that Joker and Harley tormented him for hours on end. Ashley's been with him for fucking DAYS now... Days... "He knows what day it is, this has to be part of his plan.."

Richard only blinked, drew himself up and started to type at the keyboards in front of the computers. Pulling up records of the sewer system beneath Gotham and pulling it under a map of the streets. His eyes narrowed. There was an intersection, a half block away where the sewers and blueprints intersected. The next building over was a toxic waste removal plant. It's been shut down for near two decades.

"There." Jason said from over Richard's shoulder. And his own brother had to suppress a shudder from the animosity coming from Jason's body. Like a heavy aura seeping from his very enraged soul.

They stood and eyes were met from around the room. Koriand'r nodded, settled the metal bracer around the crown of her head, her hair pulled back into a now flaming ponytail. Roy shoulders his compound bow, holsters at his hips and a quiver of arrows at his back. Dick stood straight, holding his helmet in one hand and with the other, thrust Jason's red face plate toward him. Jason took a single wide step forward and took the face plate into his hands.

"We're getting her back." Jason nodded as Roy spoke from his side. He wasn't alone in this. Not this time. This time, he had support, he had backup. And above all, he was stronger than ever before. This time, Joker would die.

"You're doing so good little bird!" Cackling laughter as he crouched, hands on knees and watching. Ashley was on the floor, on hands and knees. Her skin was nothing but black and blue, purple bruises blooming over every inch of flesh. Blood crusted over her back from wounds of reopening every scar she had, over and over again. Her hands looked as if she had gotten in a fist fight with a sharks mouth. Strips of flesh gone in places and hanging in others. The manicure she had gotten two weeks before was gone, every nail was broken off at the quick and the one on the middle finger of her right hand was completely broken off.

He wanted her to break. To go mad with pain, to beg for mercy.

"Now, say it again little bird." He smiled as she panted for breath through the pain. His eyes roaming over every bloody curve of her naked frame. Landing on the patch of flayed skin on her lower back. He'd make quick work of that tattoo on her back, slashing it open and nearly peeling back the top layer of flesh just so he could pull some of it free of her. A little present for himself, the Red Hood inked into her skin was a nice prize. "Tell me your Daddy's girl."

Ashley looked up, through a heavily swollen black eye and a split lip that just wouldn't stop bleeding. There's a molar somewhere on the ground where he'd punched her so hard a tooth went flying. He'd been at her, non stop for four days. She knew. Because every day he would tell her how long she'd been there. There were pinprick marks scattered over her flesh, her thighs and neck hold the marked spots where he'd sunk a thick needle into her flesh adrenaline and something else. Something that made her laugh instead of scream. With a foggy mind, she knew it had to be some sort of toxin her body was pumped full of. It was warping her thinking.

Her broken nails started to bleed once more as she clawed at the ground in front of her, thick metal cuffs on her wrists that kept her kneeling on the grimy floor. Ashley's lips moving on their own as she stared blankly at the splattered blood before her. Her blood.

"I'm ...daddy's girl." His laughter made her flinch, but only a fraction. If she repeated what he said. He wouldn't her as much. If she listened, the pain wouldn't be so bad. She just wanted it to stop.

"Good girl!" He knelt to her side and a rough hand grabbed her chin, the crack on her jaw bone making her want to cry out. The drugs in her system instead made her giggle and cackle at the pain. Her lips twisted into a manic grin, he started laughing along with her. "Who's a pretty birdy?"

"I... am." In her eyes the blue started to glaze over and he licked his lips.

"What a good little bird." Pushing her to her side, the pain making her cry out with a laugh, he gripped her leg on either side of her knee, and twisted. Popping the joint back where it needed to be. That time she did scream. "Quiet, little bird. Let's get your wings now."

Her shackles are loosed and with no strength to stand she's grabbed by the wrist and dragged over the filthy floor. Her laughing screech sounded and echoed as the exposed flesh on her lower back pressed and dragged over the floor. Arms with strength no man should possess ripped, her up off the floor and face down onto a metal gurney. The cold steel bit into her wounds, her hands were cuffed, her waist and hips strapped down with thick leather straps. Through blood stained white and blonde bangs, cut short to her chin, pale blue eyes caught sight of a gleaming scalpel.

"Make sure you laugh for Daddy." His cackling laugh sounded and then he started to cut. Her lips split as open as they could, screaming out in laughter and tears streaming down her blood stained and dirty cheeks as the scalpel sliced open her back and shoulder blades. Blessedly, her vision whited out and she was lost to unconsiousness for the first time in days.

"Don't worry, little bird, I'll make sure you have wings... Pretty, pretty birdy... Needs some wings to fly..." The body under his fingers was out cold, but he kept cutting and slicing. Finding what he needed as he pressed buttons on a nearby terminal. The lights flicking green as the whir of machines started.

"Pretty birds need wings..." Muscles were flayed back, nerves cut, wires and neuro agents collided with flesh and bone. Scalpel moving through flesh like hot melted butter. Shoulder blades cut with bone saw, bolts and screws sunk into marrow and bloody exposed bones.

Hours, hours spent splicing nerve ending with steady hands and screwing metal to bone. Microbial agents meshing blood and wires together as he lays back layers of flesh to their original spaces. Thick stitches covered every slash of the knife, uneven and tight. The heavy weights now so thoroughly attached to the body beneath it that it would tak eweeks or months or years for a team of surgeons to split the pieces apart once more. A marrige of machinery and flesh and bone now melded.

Joker reached up and slicked his hair back with blood now soaking into the deep green hairs from his hands. Watching as the machines move on her back. Like the twitching of a finger.

Wings for his little bird.

He moved, feet unsteady as exhaustion caught up with his body. A needle into his own arm as the drugs flood his system and he feels strength return to his body. One more thing to do. One more mark to give. A rod in his hand as he stalks to a roaring boiler. Opening the slatted door to the flames within. The end placed into the fire to heat, waiting until the metal on the end became a blinding white.

Hands, burning from the heat of the fire but ignored, hover over the woman's lower back. The brand an inch from her flesh. And he's wavering, waiting for just the right angle and... He sinks the brand into her flesh. So out of it from pain that she only flinches, giggles low in her throat for a fraction of a second and then stilled once more. When he pulls his hands back, flings the brand to the ground.

A letter 'J' is now burned into her skin. Over the exposed flesh from the flayed tattoo. Where he'd peeled back and removed the ink of the Red Hood helmet. Seared her skin with the 'J' that used to adorn Jason's pretty cheek, just under his eye. Now she bore his mark. He replaced what wasn't needed and added what wasn't there.

His little bird was perfect now.

Bruce narrowed his eyes. The city had gone quiet. No more toxin reports. Nothing from the Hood's territory of note. Nothing. Something was wrong. As he paced, the computer system chimed, a window of security footage showing the forms of four individuals. One flying in the air, three on a motorcycle each. Speeding down the alleys towards the abandoned industry district on the south side of the city. Nearest the docks and mostly empty. Fingers typed furiously but that was the last camera before going into the dark there. He'd have to go look for himself.

"Damian, let's go." The young teen in a hooded Robin costume nodded and climbed into the passenger seat of the bat car. Bruce just prayed he wasn't too late, for whatever was going on.


	43. Chapter 43

The warehouse where jason ahd died had exploded. A massiv aoutns of bombs had goine off, with his body in the cernter of them. An explostion so powerful it destoyed the nearby warehouses and plants in a six block raduis. Theyd all been abondaoned isne then. There so so much damage, the city just didnt have it in their acocunts or man pwoer to clean it ll up entriely. Just enough. Thats all tis city seemed to do. Just eought o get by. Just enough.

Rubble caused the tires under jasons bike to wobble unsteadily. Vut he kept it level and pushed the throttle faster, manuveroing around piles of stone and crushed brick. Rebar and metal roofing sticking out form ervy agel and he needed to duck adn swereve serveral times to make sure he wasnt beheaded byt the left debris. It was leveled, the buidling hed been isnide. Nothing left but the iant pie of trsh. Thatw as it. But theyw erent heading for the building itself, theyw ere headed for a sewer great just a half block over, one hta looked as if it had been recently ncvored.

The solid ron circle was lfted and thrown tot the side, and one by one the four droped down into the sweres of gotham. Booted feet slapshing as they ran though the tunnels, trying to hurry but also looking for any sign of someehitng. Anything. They needed to be fast, thoughts and nightmare sin their minds of what the mad man could be doing to ashye this very moment.

Kori stopped, her feet bessedly floating abover the acrid muck that was two inches deep on the ground. Her eeys had catught a flicker of somehting, a sound. Akin to the shuffling of chains, in the distance. Her green eyes flared int he dark, gowing as she turned and whistled low, once. Catching the attentions of the three males who stopped in theit tracks and spun arund, bcack tot eh corner kori was looking down another, slimmer tunnel. Without words they started that way. Coming to an old steel door, rusted and ajar n its old hinges. Long forgetton and unkept.

Kor took the lead, her feet just an inch above the ground to keep any movement silent as she looked wiht he glowing eyes. Through the door, down a metal satircase that seemed to groan unde the ehavy weigh of the males travesing over it, over to a blacony of metal grates. Pieces missing making it diffucult to walk wihtout loosing a slte to the floor belwo. Hen she paused, halway down a set of grated steps. Three sets fo eyes looked on.

Hanging from the ceilign was a heavy chain, the links so thick it looked to weight several hunded pounds of not more than a thousand. A set of bloodied metal cuffs hanging fromt eh hooka t the end. The floor was splatetred with blood, mostly dried and in all matter of patterns. Jasons feet took him down th stps and and he knelt on the floor, his gloved hand reching out to pick up the remians of what looked like red fabric. The now fmalifr sight of one of his thermal sweaters in his ahnds. The one shed bene wearing. Nearby was the tattered remians of jeans and the spot of neon blue inside, her panties.

His head lifted and he used the canners in his helmet to look for heartneats. But the metla and brick was so thick down here, hed half to be inside eevry room to check. Everythign in here was like being stuck in a tank, every sound echoed an caused his readings o be scrambled even from his wn breathing. With a slow movemetn jaosn stood and loekd around them. Tkaing in the cluttered table nearby. His hands moving over objects, pictures of ashley and himself. The bastard ahd been trcking him. Ashle ahd been right. The joker had been after the hood, knwoing ti was jaosn underneath.

"Hood" roy caught his atteniotn, bow at the at ready in his hands and he motioned tot eh corridor to the ewst, apping at his ear to sya hed heard something. Jason slippped a gun from his hip, cocked the barrel back to laod one in the chnamber and held it in a tight grip as they made their way down the hall. The flickering of the lgihts casting shadows and lights in a random pattern as they walked.

Room after room they checked. Nothing but old offices and locker rooms. And every empty room made jason grow angrier, more fearful. He as sweating beneath his leather nd armor, a lock of his hair sicked to his cheek under the helmet, a drop fell tot eh corner of his eye and he blonnked it away. They kept finding tnogitn int ehr ooms, until the sound of chains once agian came. Closer thna before but still echoing.

Down another set of stpes, cement this time, further down under the city adn the surace until the came to a set of double doors that wung back in palce once opened. They would most liekyl creak adn groan, and signla whoeevr was ont eh toher side of their presence. With a nod, jaosn and richard lifted a foot and kciked each side of the doors open, ahrsh enough the meta stuck itnot eh wall and styaed there. Guns raised, every ebgle covered, they stlaked inside as a group. Kori just baovev them to wlook for snaipers or attacks.

It was always like joker to make a scene. To create a show.

As the group moved further inside, the snapping of a level sounded from above and a blinding light shown down. A spotlight pointed directly on tp of the four and they apsued in their movemnts. Now all standing back to back and lookign to every corner. The lgiht cuased everythign else around them to become een more shrouded in darkness as the blinding brightness shoen down directly on top of them.

And then the laughing started. Jaosns blood starte to ump faster in his veins, rushing to his ears as he listedn to that heavy cackle that haunted his dreams for years and sitll did. Foosteps, slow and clickign gently ont eh floor, came to just insde the large ring of light around the foursome. Pale skin, painted sared lips and toxic green eyes. A deep plum suit covered in blood, the jacket sleeves roleld up. His entire beaing was splattered wiht it.

"ssuch good timgin!" he claps his ahdns together, jasons ahnds tighten on his gun and ha suues every restriant he ahs to not shoot the man before him right then and there. He nended to find her, to find ashley. He looks like hes sizng jaosn up, continuing to chuckle softly as his yellow teeth shine in the bright light.

"where is she..." jason snarled, taking a single step forwar dna leveing his gun with the jokers head, right between the eyes. The mad man only cackles, baks out of the cirlce of light and is gone from veiw into teh shaodws. Jason goes to chase after him. And the oment hes ot of the ring o f light another shiens downa dn nother and nother until hes int eh middle fo underground stoage warehouse. Spnning on his feet and looking in every direction as the toher three quickly catch up wth him to stnad by him.

"face me coawrd!" jason screamed ut into teh echoeing space. And thena nother light flciked on, pointed towards the hgih sceling. A metal cage the size of a box truck. With a blood smeaed hard peeking frmt eh edge of it, unmoving. "ashley..." jason took a step forward, his knees felt weak.

Please god dont let her be god please...

"i just couldnt fix you jason, there was too much.. Fight in you." jokers voice osudned form all angels, like theres were more the one voice and it resonated different. The four scroured the area but couldnt find the sourece of teh voice only that the cage was not lit with another light and was being lwoered, slowl. The hand twiched and ajson felt hope bloom in his heart.

"oh but you brought me such apretty brd jaosn, a pretty pretty bird." the cage was lwoered until it was twety feet of the ground. The hand puled itnself into the cage. The sound of chians sounded and the cage moved slightly.

Draead fileld jasons entire being as the whimpered sound of pain illed the air, teh cage conitnued to move. Gently swaying just a few inches form side to side. A sound of metal and leatehr, soft a shwiper in the air. Jasons hemelt read waht it saw bt the iron bototm of the cage blcked ahsleys body isnde of it. He didnt know if she was okay, he needed to know.

"i fixed her so much ebtetr this time! Youll see youll see!" a leveer was pulled and the cage jerked. "show them! Show them waht daddy did yo you pretty bird...' wiht that, the bototm of the cage was erleased completly. A scremaing wail sounded.

Ashlys body plummeted a few feet before something spread form her back, wide and shinign wiht the glam of metal. Once, twice, moving and then she shrieked in horrible agaony, dropping the last bit to the gournd onto her side. The...wing on her back flapping listeleissly as she panted wide eyed at the thing attached to her back.

Jason felt like vomiting, he felt like shoving a buttlet strgth nto ashleys brain. Becasue what he saw ... She didnt eed to be alive to feel or see what the joker ahd doen to her. Koris hands flew to he moutha dn th alien dorped to her knees ungracefully as she lost her control over ehr own powers to flaot. Richard, frozen in shock, narroed his agxe and follwoed the way every time sahslye twitched asnoulder, the wings would move and flinch.

"son of a bitch..." richard shiwpered, jason started shooting towards the ratfer and shouting in a roar fo the bastrd to make himself kown. The bulletes raining down around her made no difference as ahsey pushed herself ont her hands and hip, starng unblikng at the thing on her back.

She grasps the wing, the leatherly metal mixture and yanked, onnly to scream in pain as if the thing was atached to ehr dtright dont to her feet. Uncaring of her nuidyt, the only thing in her mind is the pain and the fear. Kori flew to her side, reahing out to touch the blonde only to get a scrme ain respindes. Ashley flying backwards, qyite literally. Because those wings spread and flapped once, ahrd. Thorwing her several feet awya from teh alien.

"daddy!" and its as if someone hit the pasue button. Richard whipped his ehad around to stare, roy adn koris jaws dropepd. And jasons back went taut and ram rod stright. Jokers laughter rang out into the now silence, somehow appearing behind the naed woman with wings now ataached to her bak.

"look jason, i gave her wings! Isnt she a pretty bird now?" he stands over her, hand gripping ehr china dn forcing ehr to look over at the man with the red helmet. His grip bruising, the wings at her back riding an olding against er spine, still slow and sluggish. As if the raactions are delayed.

"jason?" her lips murmured, the paleness of her eyes caught jasons somehow under the helmet. Jasons gloves creaked with how tightly he was holding his pistols, one trained on the joker..

The joker smile faded and he looked downa t ashley, ripping her up by the neck and danlging ehr on her knees. "oh dear. You broke her jason, and i worked so ahr dto make her prefect.." he started grinnign and laughing once more, throwin ahslye down tot he ground, straight to her back. Her scream of misery, wialed up from her dry thraot and jason snapped.

He was on the mad amn in a second, punching and clawing. Beating the man who only laughed and took every hit as if it barely phased him. Hit after hit jason reeled his leg back and kicked the mans knee, the sickening snap brought an actual pained grunt ofrm the joker and her only laughed harder. "look jason! Look! Shes mine now!" he was hanging from jasons fist in his rumpled suit shirt.

Jaosn lifted his helmet to look over, found ashley with her teeth bared and on her knees. Backing away from the roy ad kori who were trying to help her up. The mechaina wings at her back spreading wider and wider until roy took a step stoo close and then he was flying across the floor, roling to a stopw itha grunt of pain. The same wild look in her eyes jason remebered looking abck at himself when harley had held a mirror up to his face. Broken.

"youll pay for this you bastrad..." joker only cackled, and kept laughing untilhe jerked suddnely. Looking down to his rbs as jason twisted a serrated blade btween the spaces of them, ripping it into his heart.

"i still own you... And now... I own her.." the joker sputtered up blood, grinning insanely until jason dropped him, and the jokers gasped for on more breath, then went still.


	44. Chapter 44

Animalistic panting, unable to catch his breath, Jason stumbled back to a knee. Ripping off his helmet, the sharp metal cutting into his ear as the plates retracted and caught the lobe as he flung it to the ground and crawl dashed to Ashley's side. His hands up, placating. One mission on his mind as he watched her back herself into a corner, her eyes searching for escape. A crazed giggle escaping her lips as the tears started to gather in her eyes.

"Ashley, please... It's okay..." She looked so confused and scared, lost in her own mind. One that was cracking and smashed from the torture she'd endured. God, he loathed himself more than ever in this moment.

He touched his chest with a gloved hand. "Jason, I'm Jason...remember?" And she shook her head, clutching at her sides where wounds of scalpel and knives looked to litter her every inch of skin. Jason gulped and forced back the bile in his throat. "Come on, sweetheart... You know me..." Ashley's hands reached up to grip her head and she screamed angrily, her wings fluttering with her shoulders movements, "Come on, doll, you know me..." Biting the inside of his cheek Jason ripped the domino mask from his face. Ashley looked up and froze, her eyes wavering in pain.

"What did he do to you, sweetheart..." And the moment his voice turned softer, gentler. Ashley's eyes wavered once more, and she blinked. Narrowing her gaze at him until she put a palm down on the ground, her other hand reaching over her shoulder to grasp at the stitches from her carved back. Her scream tore the others apart, Richard dropped to his knee to Jason's left, unable to hold himself up at the sight of her backside, Jason hadn't seen the brand yet. Richard wanted to vomit.

"Easy, easy, baby don't...don't touch em', you'll hurt yourself..." His voice went even softer, smaller. Crouching to make himself look as less imposing as possible. Doing everything he could to not display the rage bubbling over inside of him. His eyes tinged green.

Her hand came back to her face, covered in blood, shaking. She looked back at Jason's face, her brow furrowing. Lips licking themselves and trying to form a word, her head shaking from side to side. Matted and blood drenched hair falling in thick greasy locks about her neck. The wings at her back spread out to the ground beside her now. Jason flicked his gaze to them and swallowed. They looked heavy, iron and steel rods and mechanisms to make them move fluid. Feathers stretched with leather and wires. Gears whirring with every major move.

"Jay... Jay?" Jason nodded quickly taking a little scuffled step forward and she didn't flinch. Another few moments went by and Ashley kept shaking her head. Jason noticed the way her bangs were slashed short, half the lock of white tremendously shorter than the rest.

"Yeah, yeah, baby. Jay."

"Daddy... Daddy said... I'm like you... He fixed me..."

His heart dropped to his feet. She wasn't coming out of it.

"Oh, god..." He murmured, clasping a gloved hand over his mouth, really thinking about throwing up. The back of his throat burning with stomach acid. His head was swimming.

"They hurt... make it stop, please, Jaybird?" Jason's palms fell to the ground between them and he wanted to sob. He wanted to rage or simply shoot them both in the head. Put them both out of their misery. This couldn't be happening.

Richard's hand landed on his shoulder and Jason looked up, desperately wanting help and not knowing how anyone could help either of them. "She needs you... Just go with it..." His voiced wavered and Jason knew that Richard was close to tears but keeping it together somehow.

So, he turned to Ashley, who was on her hands and knees, one hand clasped to her shoulder where Joker had ripped her open and made her some sort of cyborg bird with mechanical wings. He'd given her wings. He made her a damn bird...

"Yeah, I'll make it stop sweetheart. Come're." Hesitantly she scuffles closer and when she lifts the wings without thought, the sheer weight of them making her stumble forward to plummet into his chest, he catches her. Awkwardly placing his arms around the tops of her shoulders and one around her lower back. Until she screeches out and claws at his own shoulders in pain.

What he finds when he looks down is the icing on the fucking cake. Joker branded her. A giant fucking 'J' over her tattoo, well, where her tattoo used to be. He'd... He'd cut the hood out of it. Fuck, that had to have hurt. Everything that was down to her had to have hurt. Jason shushes her gently and pulls her against his chest, nestling her nose into the crook of his neck as he looks over her shoulder. Figures in the beams of light now.

Behind Ashley's body, just inside the light, stand Batman and Robin. The little demon of his little brother looks shocked for once, his gloved hand to his mouth as he watches Ashley's wings flutter to the ground and her body shake with tears. Jason's eyes narrow and the two bats have the stare down of a lifetime. Jason clutched Ashley to him, his lips pulled back in a snarl. Daring Bruce to even think about tearing her from his arms now.

"She needs medical attention." Batman's voice sounded, looking over the scene before him. He was disgusted, shocked and a slew of other things he couldn't tell what he felt. All he knew was Ashley had been taken by Joker and the worst possible had happened. She wasn't dead, she was worse.

Jason pulled her further into his arms, shielding her as best he could from Batman's gaze. She was still naked as the day she was born. But the professionalism Batman had cause the older male to ignore it all and instead take in her injuries. The wounds and stitches, the thing on her back that had what looked like bolts pressing from underneath her flesh.

"I'm not leaving her..." And Bruce heard it, the broken tremor in Jason's voice as he stood and held Ashley to his side because she couldn't support her own weight now with the iron and steel things on her back. Wings. He wanted to shudder.

"I have to call the League, you understand that, correct?" Jason closed his eyes and hung his head slowly. Glancing to the right over Ashley's battered bloody hair to his mask and face plate laying in the beam of light. He leaned his nose into Ashley's hair and sighed, heavily.

"Red Hood, is dead." He opened his eyes back to Bruce.

Breaking the silence, the Red X threw his hands up in the air. "Dude, speak for yourself. I was only here as a favor, didn't even get blood on my hands. I'm out." And he started to turn and jog out of the building. Robin took a step to follow but Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "He's not important." The young Robin narrowed his eyes but nodded.

"You two need to make a choice, stay or leave." Bruce was trying to be merciful he really was. He'd known Roy since he was a boy and friends with Richard and then later through his apprentice days, he was a good kid. And Koriand'r, reminding him so much of Diana that it nearly hurt to see the alien on the wrong side of things. They both, with raised chins, stood firm and wouldn't move from either of Jason's sides. Bruce nodded, accepting their choice as he pulled out his communicator and called a direct line to the League.

When Diana answered, eyes furrowed with worry as she saw the surroundings behind Bruce's cowl. Bruce spoke. "Joker has been killed by the Red Hood, Ashley dodge is in urgent medical help. Send Hawkgirl, we'll need her assistance." Diana only nodded and said an affirmative.

"You have maybe three minutes before they're here." Bruce warned them.

Jason nodded and gently peeled back Ashley's chin to look at her. "Sweetheart, I'm gonna get you some help, okay?" She clutched to his chest with her broken nails. "They're gonna help you, okay? They're good people..." She seemed to understand and gave a nod.

"You won't leave me right, Jaybird?" Roy caught Bruce flinch at the name Joker stole from their family of birds. What used to be a sweet nickname, each one special to every son, was now something used only in very good circumstances. Where they could easily stomach the unease with the name. It felt like rocks collecting in Bruce's belly.

"I might have to, for a while, but I'll stay as long as I can, okay?" She nodded, her eyes still glazed over and pain still causing her to flinch whenever she moved the wings subconsciously. Jason tightened his hold and nestled his nose into her blood stained, matted hair. His chest hurt, ached in a way he'd never felt before.

In two minutes, heavy steps sounded, and the Justice League was there. Superman, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl, along with several others came to stand behind Bruce. Shock clear on the faces of the supers. Diana rushed forward, coming up to the side of Jason where Ashley's face was tucked into his neck. Her hand hovering over the mess that was her upper back, her lips parted in grief for the young blonde.

Her deep brown eyes meeting Jason's watery ones from over Ashley's head. The sudden emotional stasis of him, the way he nearly trembled in his hold of Ashley, Diana reached and grasped his shoulder, squeezing gently. She stood by the man's side the others surveyed the warehouse. The body of Joker not far behind them. Roy and Kori standing behind Jason's sides, neither moving to attack or defend.

Superman stepped forward, accessing the damage to the blonde's back. His x-ray vision making him tense as he looks beneath her flesh. The bolts and screws, the wires and neurons melding machine and body as one. The damage was deep, he did not have hope it might be reversed.

"Red Hood, you are under arrest."

"Yeah, can we just... Skip all of that... And help her?" Jason's voice wavered but held strong finally, he looked up from over Ashley's wings and met Superman's gaze. For once, the super nodded, and the others converged on the four. They went willingly, slowly, as Jason helped Ashley walk. Diana, freed the cloak from her shoulders and handed it to Jason, Ashley's eyes were wide, and she clung to Jason. She looked akin to a startled animal that had been beaten and was looking for an escape. Jason took it gently and winced as Ashley gasped in pain as the cloak was wound about her, just under the wings and pulled to her front so she could cover her bare and bloodied form.

As they emerged from the bowels of Gotham, finding it had started snowing once more outside, Hawkgirl came forward and stood away from Jason and Ashley. "Hello, Ashley, I'm Sheyera." The whitish wings behind her fluttered and Ashley's eyes widened.

"You're a pretty bird, like me." Several of the Leaguers paused, hearing the way she talked and worded that sentence. "Daddy, made me a pretty for Jaybird. But they hurt... Do yours's hurt?" Hawkgirl grimaced but tried to keep a smile on her face.

"No, mine don't hurt. But maybe I could help you?" Ashley looked to Jason, her eyes wide and questioning. Everyone stared as Jason tucked her short bangs back behind her ear.

His voice was hoarse and watery. "Yeah, sweetheart, it's okay..." Ashley's smile brightened a bit but still frowned after a moment in pain as they moved once more.

"Come, let's get to the base and have you looked over child." Diana spoke softly, catching Ashley's eyes only for the blonde to look once more to Jason for guidance and they all saw the tear track down his cheek as he nodded and gently pressed her face back into the hollow of his throat. Unable to look into her glazed over eyes.

"Let's go." Voice deep, he looked up and found Bruce's cowled face across from him. Bright light enveloped them all, and they were miles away in the League base. Surrounded by stars and space.


	45. Chapter 45

Several of the League had background in neuroscience and psychology. All were called to the main base. All were needed to find…something to help Ashley dodge. A dozen adults stood baffled as they watched a live feed brain scan and internal scan of the young woman's body. Tiny, microscopic nanobots were becoming one with her very cellular base. The bolts and screws, common tool store variety, were quickly becoming encompassed by the bone marrow leftover of her shoulder's blades and spinal vertebrae. The nanobots tricking the bone and cells themselves into thinking the bolts and metal were part of her body and not something foreign. Into healing nearly four times the normal human rate.

She wasn't calm, in any sense of the word. Its been over two hours and she still attack the solid glass doors of the holding cell she's been placed inside. Her skin is purple and the bruises she'd endured the past few days were apparent over her pale flesh. Dehydrated and most likely starving as well, probably had been unable to sleep either. She was dead on her feet, yet she screamed and cackled as she attacked the glass doors. Not a scratch was left on them, however she kept at it. Yelling that she wanted her Jaybird. A completely opposite of the woman they'd met just months prior.

Her bran scans were troubling, in the worst sense of the word. Severely high levels of dopamine, her brain was overproducing it at this point. Causing high levels of schizophrenia, her 'crazy", as she cackles like mad whenever the weight of her wings throws her body to the ground from its inability to yet hold the massive machines. Even if they did administer a high dosage of an agonist, something that could counteract the levels of dopamine in her brain, it wouldn't be enough. The dosage she would need could kill her, brain damage too much of a risk. Diana closed her eyes as the sounds continued from the live feed. Ashley was gone, and in her place was a mad woman hellbent on getting to the one person she recognized, Jason. The amazon's heart clenched painfully tight in her chest at the sound of Ashley's gasps of pain mixed with insane bouts of bubbling laughter. She'd been with joker for four days. In four days, he'd reduced a strong, independent, kind woman, to this. Diana shudders to think that could have become of Jason if the Joker had kept him any longer, the young man was already barely sane as it was.

Batman and Diana were outvoted as to how to house the young adults, and immediately the foursome was ripped apart and situated on different corners of the cell block on the base. Superman, already having a grudge against the blue-eyed disgraced Wayne son, had knocked Jason upside the head and effectively knocked the male out. Ashley was pulled from his limp arms and thrown into her own cell. Koriand'r, angered, yet she held her chin high and let the others lead her into a cell, while Roy was loud in his obscenities as he was led in the other direction by his mentor and several other Leaguers.

"What do we do?" Hawkgirl whispered softly to Diana, afraid to speak any louder over the near silence of the room filled with distraught and shocked adults.

"What can we do?" it was green lantern that came forward step or two, arms crossed as he took in the live brain scans and the inside of her battered body. Shed need to be sedated, soon, simply to let her body heal and to get some fluids into her system. No one had dealt with this level of torture before, at least not spoken bout it if they had.

Superman knew exactly what to do. Throw each to a prison as far away from the other three as possible. Put them all in the darkest, deepest hole he could find and then throw away the keys. He knew this would happen, he knew it. His hands clenched in to fists as his sides and rage was surrounding him in a heavy aura.

No one was paying much attention to the video feed of Roy's cell, or how Green Arrow was standing just barely in view of the camera.

"What do you want?" Roy's emerald eyes flared deeply, emotions warring inside of him like a storm and so far, he had been able to remain, mostly, calm. But now, glaring face to face with his ex-mentor, he wanted to truly rage, let loose all the careful strength and anger he hid so very well. Let loose like Jason does every so often, get it out of his system. There was so much, hatred, for the adult across from him on eh other side of the glass.

Roy's lips peeled back into a snarl and he leaned against the glass barrier that separated him from the man who'd absolutely ruined his very life. This man who was supposed to have been his teacher, his father figure, this man who'd betrayed his every trust and loyalty. Oliver queen found a small shiver a fear run down his spine, but he squashed it, from the feral glint in Roy's eyes. Something he had only seen a few times in his entire life.

"What's he done to you Roy?" Oliver asked, as if Jason was the reason Roy was so fucked up in head. As if Jason was the reason Roy still had nightmares, shakes in the mornings and a craving for liquid rat poison. As if Jason was the very reason Roy was seconds from death, lying in a gutter in the freezing rain, moments from overdosing from forced injections.

And Roy starts to grin, he throws his head back and laughs a soulless sounding thing that has Oliver narrowing his eyes behind his mask at the reaction. Roy's still chuckling when he rights his head and wipes a stray tear form the corner of his eyes, he had been laughing so hard.

"They don't know… do they?" Oliver's stillness, the way his chest passed for a half heartbeat was enough of an answer for the archer. Roy's lips widen and he crosses his arms above his head to lean them on the glass, leaning close to the barrier and sneering behind it.

"What are you talking about?" and Oliver's voice turns deeper.

"Oh, you didn't know? That I was lucid? That I felt every needle point because I was so high already? That my internal organs were shutting down when you threw me out of the car into the street? Hmm?" Roy kept smiling wickedly at his mentor, enjoying the look of true fear so very much ruining the older man's façade.

"Roy I..."

"Save it you piece of fucking shit. You hated my weakness', that I couldn't keep up with the super kids. That even Richard left me in the dust during training. You saw my addiction and you forced me further into it, instead of helping he get clean. You tried to kill me and blame it on the drugs." Roy pushed off the wall and opened his arms wide, as if taunting Oliver with his very presence. "I'm alive, because of Jason fucking Todd." He lifts his hand to point an accusatory finger at his previous mentor, nothing but hatred pouring from his words.

"And now everyone will know!" he starts shouting at the top of his lungs, begging for attention to be placed on the camera he knows are on his very form right this second. For everyone around to turn and listen to him. "That Oliver fucking queen drugged his protégé, pumped me full of so much fucking heroin and coke that my heart, to this fucking day, still beats off course. That you left me for dead because I didn't live up to your expectations." Roy sneered at Oliver as he saw the shadows of several angry and confused league members come up behind Oliver on each side of the hallway.

"Time to fess up asshole." Roy grins, waving jubilee as Oliver is escorted to an interrogation room. Smiling all the way until everyone is gone from his vision and the smile drops. He didn't feel any better now that the league knew of Oliver's treatment of his first protégé. He just hopes none of the other arrows the man has mentored have come to see the same treatment.

Roy placed a palm flat on the solid steel wall to his left and glared at the smooth metal surface, as if it could give him the answers he wanted. The freedom he so desperately wished for. For all of this to be over, for all of them to be free. It was all he wanted. All he needed out of life anymore. The vision of that morning came to his mind and a soft smile gentled his features. The blonde and red hair of Ashley and Kori melded together and their bodies smushed between his and Jason's. The calmness, the sweet silence and simple… love, that had flowed between them all. It made his heart clench painfully in his chest and he breathed deeply through his nose to calm his features. He had to believe they'd be fine, that this was for the best and they had accepted their fate to always stay by Jason's side. If that meant they be in separate cells for the rest of their loves, so be it.

Diana couldn't take it anymore, she had to do something. Something in her very soul was telling her this was not the way to right this very deeply evil wrong that had been done. With her eyes, she caught Hawkgirl's from across the room, then moved to Manhunter, and finally met Bruce's gaze. Then she turned, with careful grace she moved form the room and gently moved down a hallway, slowly so the others would follow her until she found an empty room.

When the other three were inside, Diana made sure the door was locked and none could look inside with a nod to Manhunter to keep his mind open to watch for any listeners. These three she trusted without a doubt, that they felt the same way she did on this matter. Bruce, in a rare moment of broken self-set rules, flicked back his cowl and Diana could see the turmoil and fear clearly on the man's face.

There was no need to explain why they were there, and no need to question loyalties or morals. Hawkgirl and herself had spoken on many occasions since Ashley's appearance about how good she would be for Jason to have around. Bruce saw the anguish in Jason's face as seeing Ashley's broken and sawed to bits. And Manhunter had made his opinion noted only once in passing to the amazon, he wished for them to be free of life's constraints and turmoil.

"You do realize, should the others find out too soon, we could all be arrested." Bruce stated slowly and Diana only shook her head.

"They may try, I will not stand by and let this happen." Shed watched, heartbroken, at Roy's admittance to what had really happened with his drug addiction and it cleared dup so much doubt that had hovered over her about Oliver and the boy. She'd always had her suspicions something else had gone awry, but never had the evidence to goa bout trying to find anything out. No more, no more of this. No more underhanded attacks against the future of this league. No more.

"Then how do we do this?" Hawkgirl crossed her arms, the wings at her back fluttering gently and Bruce suppressed a shudder at the sight.

Manhunter, for all his usual stoic silence, came forward. "If it may suggest… I can teleport them from the cells, to the transport room."

Shocked, Diana found herself blinking once in surprise. "yore able to do that undetected?" he simply nods once. Astounding shed known he man, alien, was powerful, but not to the extant he was eluding.

"My home planet… is not detected by the leagues systems, inf act, the league doesn't know it even exists to this day anymore." Bruce stepped forward, hope blossoming on his face.

"You're saying… you could take them away? They'd be safe?" Manhunter nodded.

"There are many advancements in mind healing at my home, I believe the young female would be bet suited there for the foreseeable future."

"Then it's settled, we get them out." Bruce nodded once and returned his cowl to his face and adjusted it to fit just so. "Tonight, well sedate Ashley so she won't make a fuss and then we reconvene in the transport bay." Bruce turned to Manhunter. "You're sure that you can handle them? Jason is barely stable as is, and Ashley's mind is truly warped."

Manhunter gentle swayed a hand in front of him to calm their questions. "I have no doubt I will able to wrangle them if need be. If they are together, they will able fine." Bruce stepped toward the dark green skinned alien man and held out his hand.

"Get them out, help my son… and I will forever be in your debt." The other three didn't need to see the hope that was blossoming in Bruce's usually stoic voice. This was his son, he would do anything to right this situation.

"There is no need my friend. The young ones have been hurt for too long, it cannot continue." Manhunter's voice spoke of a lesson learned, and of anger held deep within his body. Diana narrowed her gaze and Manhunter gave a small tilt of his head, reading her very thoughts he had known about Queen. Or at least suspected what had happened. "I will be taking my niece with me, if I am to leave suddenly with these youth, she may be subject to ridicule and interrogation. I will need her protected with me." No one objected to that, at all.

Bruce's mind was a whirlwind and he looked to be thinking very hard on another choice he wanted to make. When Manhunter's dark eyes found his cowl Bruce's lips split to ask one more thing. "take Tim when you fetch your niece. Jason will need one of his brothers with him."

"What good will Tim be going with them?" Diana was curious but Manhunter could see into Bruce's mind. He saw the benefits it would give the alpha male of the group. "There are already five young ones to take, why another?"

"Support of a brother, is just as important as support of a mate." Manhunter spoke and Bruce nodded his thanks. Understanding evident between the two of them.


	46. Chapter 46

With ease and grace that befitted his alien nature, J'onn J'onz moved throughout the base in the small hours of the earth morning. His presence was masked, his body intangible and invisible. Completely undetected as he moved through the floors, down to the cell block. In his hand was a syringe, filled to the brim with enough tranquilizer to take down two grown men. They hoped it was enough to keep Ashley down long enough for them to quietly get her and the others to the transport bay. Another one in his pockets in the off-chance Jason wouldn't cooperate, or if the first dose still wasn't enough to take Ashley out. They worried about her heart giving out, but the amount of toxins still burning through her system would give her immune system enough of a boost to counteract most of anything they could do to her at this point.

At his side hovered the red haired, green skinned youth that was his only family, his niece. Danica had mixed feeling about the entire situation and had been hellbent on staying right where she had been at the Young Justice base. But the look of fear that had run over Tim's face and body at the words of Jason going against Joker, had her wanting to stay by her friend in this hard time. She'd only met the second oldest Wayne in passing a few times, however Tim had always spoken highly and with respect of his older brother. She knew Joker was a foe none should face alone and if the mad man of Gotham was dead, then he had done something terrible to the young woman in Jason's charge. Her uncle had been silent on that regard but had told her to keep silent no matter what she saw tonight.

One more phase through and they were there, in the very middle of the cell block rows. Danica was tasked with retrieving the Tameranian and the archer. She would be pushing her powers to cloak all three of them, but she had confidence she could accomplish the task set to her by her uncle. She had no qualms with rescuing the previous proteges from a life of prison when they'd only had a bad hand in life. This planet and its people were strange in their form on justice, and she had been attempting to integrate her knowledge with that of the other youth. Though it hadn't been going very well, she was much out of her element here on this planet.

/ "You are sure you can handle this?"/ His voice soothed her mind and Danica nodded affirmative, they parted ways. She could do this. Even if this went against the League's rules. This was the right thing to do.

Roy was kept in a corner cell and that's where she went first. Finding the red head lounging back on the single steel cot, fold of his arm over his eyes as she phased into the cell. Waiting for the alarms to go off, but they didn't. Her powers were working to hide her vitals and very existence from any machinery. The male's body was breathing easy but after a few seconds, he lifted his arm and looked to the corner Danica was hiding herself. She didn't reveal her shock at the human finding her presence, but she did move forward and lay a gentle hand on his wrist. She still needed physical contact with humans to mind speak with them, but she was learning.

/ "Please be calm, my name is Danica, I'm getting you out of here." / With a soft exhale, Roy's body started to fade out of existence, and he stood. Green eyes blinking in shock at seeing himself laying on the cot he had just stood from. He raised an eyebrow at the woman he could now see, and she smiled gently. / "It won't last for long, we need to move quickly." /

Roy didn't ask questions, he just took the offered hand and he felt gravity simply float out from under him. Then they were moving, phasing through walls and glass doors, looking through every cell until they found the head of fiery hair and glowing green eyes Tameranian princess. She was floating in a lotus position, her palms open and upwards on her knees as she simply stares at the glass doors. Her hair was more fire then strands and her anger was palpable by the way her open palms and the green of her eyes seemed to glow more and more. When Danica and Roy phased into the cell, Kori gave no inclination of their presence but a twitch of her left ring finger.

Danica moved her free hand to lightly touch Kori's forearm, still Kori gave no movement but moved out of the pose she had been in and didn't react to the floating visage of her just a foot away. / "Come, we must hurry." / Kori nodded in answer, her gaze locked on Roy's face. She gently reached out to touch his cheek and a small grin finally pulled on Roy's lips.

He was prowling, active in his cell. Like a caged panther jacked up on steroids and adrenaline. He couldn't sit or stand still. His mind a disaster of emotions and 'what ifs', rage prevailing above them until self-loathing took over that. Everything was his fault, he had been so fucking selfish. He had no fucking right to keep her at his side, no right. Yet he had and she'd been so fucking perfect for his very sanity. He can still see her smiling face as she wakes up in the morning, the lilt of her lips when she laughs. He'd been selfish, and because of that, she'd been hurt beyond anything he could have imagined.

He should have fucking shot her the second he'd seen her fall from that cage. He should have raised his hand and fired. Right between the eyes, straight into the cerebral cortex and exit out the brain stem. Short, sweet, to the point. Dead. Anything would be better than her mouth twisted up into a laugh, the monstrosity of machine and leather at her back or the broken way she'd called him… that.

A hand on his shoulder had Jason swinging, barely stopping his forward momentum as he caught sight of blonde and white hair cradled against a wide chest of a bright red 'X'. / "Be calm Jason." / The voice softly whispering in his head had Jason taking a step back from the tall male holding Ashley's limp form against his chest. The wings at her back strapped up tight with a mess of leather strips and buckles. His eyes found dark pits and then he knew what this was. Someone was getting them out of here. Jason didn't much blink when a copy of himself started to pace across the cell, in a loop, and a cool hand wrapped around his bicep. Then he was falling through floors and walls, finally landing on the solid ground of the transport room.

He glanced at Bruce, Dianna and Hawkgirl in the shadows, but then his gaze was locked onto Ashley's unconscious form. Someone had dressed her in a tunic like wrap dress to cover her nudity. But it looked baggy on her form and didn't quite fit. Jason opened his arms and the man, Manhunter, handed Ashley's form over to his arms. She felt lighter and heavier. She'd lost weight in those days away from him… and the added weight of her wings made her top heavy and awkward to hold. But he didn't care, he pulled her close to crook of his neck and breathed her in, a shudder wanting to vibrate down his spine and tears pricked at his eyes. He would not break down, not… not yet.

"Jason..." Roy came up to his left and gripped Jason's shoulder, his other hand coming up to gently brush tangled hair form Ashley's face and tuck it behind her ear. The adults watched for a moment as Kori came on the other side and adjusted the dress over Ashley's frame, her touch soft on the blonde's bruised and gashed skin.

Bruce finally cleared his throat, softly and not too loud, and the foursome looked over to the four adults that had sprung them from jail. Danica's shorter frame standing beside her uncle with her arms crossed as she watched curiously. "We have to hurry." The mirages wouldn't last much longer, and they'd already spent far too much time waiting as is.

J'onn moved forward to put in coordinates to a nearby planet, once close enough to his own it would be just a short temporal jump for himself and Danica to transport the others to their true destination. Diana picked up a dark colored duffle bag and handed it to Kori. "Medical supplies and tranquilizers… should you need them." Kori narrowed her gaze, already having figured out how Ashley was unconscious. She took the bag from the amazon gratefully though, they had few options at this point.

"There's some clothes in there as well, that are fitted for those with wings." Shayera whispered to the red head and gave a small smile of comfort. Clothes attending to those with her powers were hard to come by. But she would willingly give her entire wardrobe to this young blonde if that was needed of her. Kori nodded in thanks and shouldered the bag just as the light started to brighten from the small transport beam.

Jason walked to Bruce's side in front of the beam, for the first time seeing his younger brother standing to the man's left with a bag thrown over his shoulder. "Drake? What…?" Jason was confused as to why his younger brother was here. Why he was seeing the tears wanting to fall down Jason's cheeks or the woman in his arms with wings strapped up to her back like they couldn't be controlled.

"He's going with you, as is Danica." Bruce spoke softly and caught Manhunter's eyes from over Jason's shoulder, the man nodded, signaling it was time to leave. Jason went to object and Bruce held out a hand to silence him, Jason's jaw clacked shut.

"Please, you need each other." Bruce's eyes, free of the cowl, landed on Ashley's form and they darkened fractionally in pure anger. "You all need each other. Tim's going with you for support."

Jason shook his head, almost angrily. "No, the kid stays. No way in fucking hell he's getting caught up with me now. I stayed away to keep him safe!" Jason was almost yelling but he caught himself and quieted his voice, venom on his tongue. He had tried for years to keep Tim at bay. Tim was a good kid, a great kid with a bright future. He didn't need to be dragged down by his fuck-up of a brother.

"Maybe you should have asked me first, let me choose whether or not I wanted to be around you." Tim snapped and glared right back at Jason, though he did turn and flicker his gaze away. Unable to keep eye contact with the feral glaze in Jason's eyes.

"He's going with you." Bruce's voice was final, and Jason didn't have the energy to even fight it at that moment. He simply sighed deep, held Ashley closer to his chest and nodded.

"It's time." J'onn came forward, Danica at his side as the portal glowed brightly. "We must hurry." He waved for them all to gather just before the beam of light. Jason glanced over his shoulder at his father, looking like he wanted to wrap Jason up in a blanket and hold him. At Diana, who looked as if to wrap them all up and take them far away from here. At Hawkgirl, who looked heartbroken and unable to find a better solution.

Tim came to his side, between Roy and Kori, and looked up at Jason's blue eyes just a few shades darker than his own. Conviction and determination in his gaze, Jason wanted to reach over and ruffle the kid's hair. But instead he breathed deep and took a step forward, one foot in front of the other until he and the others stood in the beam of light. Then they were gone. The portal flickered once and then the light was gone, throwing the room in shadows once more. The three leaguers walked in difference directions, never once looking back. Ten minutes later, the alarms went off. Four cells empty and no sign of forced entry. They were gone.

By the time Superman and the others had gotten through the virus in the system keeping them from opening portals, courtesy of Tim himself and also perfectly untraceable, the last coordinates opened up to an inhabitable planet. No sign of Jason or the others. And no trace of where they headed after leaving the base. Bruce was called in to be questioned and in true Batman fashion, answered honestly without giving a single detail away. He didn't know where they were going, nor the coordinates or exactly how they escaped. Diana was asked to use the lasso of truth, but since they had Manhunter keep his powers and plan from them, they had no clue how the foursome had escaped. None one figured Manhunter had anything to do with it either, since he usually came and went as he pleased. Danica and Tim were sent on a mission that could take several weeks the night before, thus before the foursome had even came to the base.

They were just, gone.


	47. Chapter 47

When J'onn and Danica opened a portal to their home planet, the five young adults blinked back the brightness from their eyes and found themselves surrounded by metal and a darkness only brought about when there were low lights never meant to show more then what was directly in front of you. Ashley was clutched to Jason's chest and his arms tightened about her waist as Manhunter's eyes seemed to glow in the shadows as he turned to look over his shoulder at the young ones in his charge now.

"Come." Was all he said and he turned to start down a long corridor that slowly twisted and turned. They followed without a word and no sound other than their feet padding on the cool floors. The walls were metal and some were stone, all smooth and held a slight shine to them. Light sconces lined the wall every few yards, giving just enough light to see their surrounding area but not around the corner. They came to life as the group neared and then puttered back to nonexistence when they left.

"Where are we?" Roy's voice sounded as they finally came to a door, Manhunter only reached out to open them.

"Hellion prime." He spoke low and opened the doors into bright warmth, light and sounds.

All around them the space opened up to a dome like building, glass and columns held the ceiling afloat. Light filtered easily through the open space and lit up the dozens of people milling about. More than a few stopped in their tasks, water jugs balanced on top of heads, multi colored clothes not unlike the robes of the romans and greeks were worn over bodies taller than Jason in some cases. There were bolts of fabric in strong arms and some were wheeling small carts full of produce the likes of which some of the adults had ever seen in their lives. Well, Kori was eyeing some sort of purple mushy mass with an air of hunger.

The ones stopped nodded deeply to Manhunter and then were on their way. Many sets of eyes still watching the group behind him. But not warily, like Jason and Roy thought they should be. No, they were simply curious, whispering about their clothes and appearance. A couple did stop to gawk at Ashley's wings and like a feral alpha, Jason sneered, his lips pulling up into a snarl and they fled at the sight of him over Ashley's shoulders.

Manhunter, in all his show of never expressing much at all, quirked his lips at that and turned to lead them through the small crowd and down a well lit hall. The ceiling was nothing more than vines and the columns the walls. Stone steps outlined every direction and plant life lived in harmony with the buildings around them.

"I have been here before, many year ago. When I was a child and learning of other cultures with my sister..." Kori spoke in a soft awed murmur, her hand still tightly clasped in Roy's as they followed up and down many steps and out of what appeared to be the main pathways.

They encountered a small girl with green hair and white eyes, selling some breed of flower from a woven basket. She dropped her wares and fell to the ground, her hands flat on he stone ground as she started what sounded like prayers at the sight of Kori. Confused, Roy and Jason watched as Kori knelt to the girl's side and touched the child's head of green hair. In a language Roy barely heard and neither he nor Jason understood, she spoke to the little girl. Kori smiled as the girl whispered back to her, white eyes found Roy and Jason, a wide smile on her small face. Kori whispered back, was given a flower and then the little girl was gone.

"What just happened?" Roy whispered loudly.

"My people are all but decimated. She is Tameran, if only a half blood." Kori stood and fingered the flower gently in her hands. "She recognized me, and has gone to tell her family that the princess has arisen.." Roy blinked and Jason blinked, Kori gently threaded it into the unconscious blonde's hair by her ear with a sad smile on her face. They forget, more often than not. That Kori is more than an alien, that she was once a princess of entire planet and culture, that her elder sister stole the crown and decimated her own people simply so Kori wouldn't have anyone to rule over.

"Hellion prime is a meshing of all worlds, all who wish to live in peace." Manhunter spoke and he slowly continued on their way, down another long staircase but then it opened up into a wide porch with gardens scattered about. A large building with vines crawling up the sides, the archways a creamy white. Inside, down more halls but no one to be seen, a set of doors opened and Manhunter stood aside as the group filed into a sort of sitting room.

Tim and Danica started to explore the main room, with it's wide stages and flowering plants over every corner. While Jason sunk into a lounge and shifted Ashley to lay on her side and on his lap. His hands gently untangling her hair and as he watches her face he cans see the tiny flutters of her eyelids. She'll wake up soon, and he honestly didn't know how to deal wither when she did. He was scared, and Roy saw it clear as day as he sat by Jason's free side to lean shoulder to shoulder with the other male of their strange relationship. Kori sat on the foot stool across from them, opening the bag and readying another dose without asking the opinions of the others. But they were exhausted and Ashley's body needed to reccuperate without her antaginosing herself.

Looking back to Kori he kept gentle touch on Ashley's scalp. "I thought you were the only survivor?"

Kori shrugs subtly, leaning over to grip Ashley's arm and find a vein to plunge the drug into the girl's system. "Many could have escaped my sister's reign and genocide before I arrived to stop her. I have no home any longer, there is no kingdom to the crown, even if I am now queen. A queen of a dying race."

"Race dying or not, you are still Koriand'r of Tameran, that name carries weight here whether or not you wish for it to." Manhunter stood to the group and nodded his head. "Here, you may call me J'onn." He raises a hand to Jason as the male goes to say something. "I know you are anxious to treat mrs Dodge, however, you all need rest for the night at least. In the morning I'll fetch you and we can discuss a plan of action when we meet with the healers." He motions at the spacious apartment type rooms around them. "For now, this will be your residence. Rest, I will come in the morning."

Kori held out her arms after J'onn left and reluctantly Jason handed her over to the alien. She gently walked down an open air hallway and vanished behind a doorway possibly. Leaving Jason and Roy almost but not really cuddling on the lounge and Tim standing awkwardly. Danica was gone and they assumed she left with J'onn. Tim stayed off to the side, watching as Jason took a sudden shuddering breath. The next moment was sobbing against Roy's neck like a child. He'd never seen his brother cry, he'd never seen much more than anger and somewhat indifference on his brother's features. This was… heart wrenching.

Roy held him for a long while, letting the tears fall that he'd been trying so hard to hold back since walking willingly into that transport beam to the League base earlier that morning. That felt so long ago now. Two days ago he had every hope that she was alive and he would kill the Joker, he's take his girl home. Roy and Kori would move back into his larger apartment. They'd be together, finally. All of them. He'd have Ashley by his side, his queen to his outlaw king. Roy at his right and Kori beside him.

They were all going to be a team, a force to reckoned with. He hadn't realized he'd been dreaming of that until this moment. He could see it in his mind, him at the helm. Dodge to his left, Arsenal to his right and Artemis above. All together and at each other's backs. The pure brute force, calculating intelligence and years of experience, all muddled together with Ashley's seemingly endless light that wrapped their shadows up in its embrace. Jason sobbed harder than ever as he clutched to Roy's sides with his hand, fisting the man's shirt in his fingers.

He'd thrown down his crown as if it meant nothing. And in that moment it hadn't. Nothing but Ashley in his arms had mattered. It still didn't. She was his everything at this point, even if it's been a few months he couldn't and wouldn't stop the feelings he had for the blonde. It swelled up inside him like a balloon ready to burst. Filling up that tiny bit of space left over from Kori and Roy in his chest, pushing them all together into one mess of emotions and care. He'd thrown down his crown for his damaged queen.

Roy cupped Jason's chin in his own calloused fingers and set the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears. He looked so broken and Roy hated it with every fiber of his being. "We will get through this Jason." There was no response from the dark haired man and Roy only pulled Jason towards his chest and held the slightly larger male to him. Roy's own bottom lips trembling as he held Jason together for the moment. His fingers carding through Jason's tangled hair while the other calms himself enough to stop the tears and chest caving sobs, to breathe even and low.

"We're gonna get through this man. You're not alone and neither is she." They had been given a real chance this time. Somehow, the four of them hadn't been shipped off to different prisons. They were together, off planet, without shackles and cuffs.

A smaller hand touched Jason's bicep, Tim was kneeling beside the two of them. There were fresh tears gathering in the corners of the younger Wayne and he gripped tight to Jason's arm, offering strength that was clearly needed, desperately. Jason couldn't be bothered to hide his emotions anymore, not now. He didn't have the strength. So he reached out with an arm to grip Tim's shoulder in thanks while he continued to cry and gently slow the sobs to simple shaking breaths. Tim understood, why their father had sent them together. Jason needed support, and Tim would always give it.

The League stood gathered around Bruce and Diana, both had just explained they'd be taking a leave of absence from the League. From everything.

"May we ask why?" Bruce turned to glance at a seething Superman, others disgruntled but understanding on their features. Diana to his side in total agreement herself with his decision.

"I've been away from my sons too long."


	48. Chapter 48

He's been in pain before. He knows pain. He knows it like an old friend, has dealt with it for years before he became a Robin and later through his abruptly short life, then after he was resurrected. Her punches are harsh, stronger than any normal humans should ever be. They hit him where he's not guarded but he can't guard his entire body all at the same time. Her wings are growing easier to move with, using their weight to throw herself away from his attacks. Her flexibility showing in every move she makes as she flips into rough back springs and hand stands. Even if she falls, and he goes for the weak spot of her side or her lower back, maybe that flash of her bicep that's unguarded. She comes back from the hit with a gleam in her eyes and grin on her lips.

She's pouring sweat, her hair is cropped short to her shoulders and is slicked to her neck as she pants across from him. Behind her Kori goes for a punch and a wing nearly clips her face, the feathers sharp as blades on the ends and ready to slice if needed. Ashley side steps, stumbling with the weight but uses it to her advantage as she drops to her side from Roy's kick to the hips. Jason goes for her legs as she's distracted and plants a dulled edge blade against her femoral artery. "Dead." This was a game they played, to keep her on her feet and teach her how to move with the wings that were now permanently attached to her very DNA.

They all stand, Kori reaching out a hand to help the blonde up. She's met with a bright smile and an only slightly manic sounding giggle as the blonde throws sweat slicked arms around the red head's neck and kisses her cheek. Kori's arms slip around the blonde and hold her close for a moment. Roy nudges Jason's shoulder with a soft knuckled hand and raises an eyebrow to the other male's frowning expression. This was the best she'd been in weeks, shit, in months now.

He's been in pain before, but not like this. The sight of her is like a serrated blade to his throat and chest cavity. Her hair shorn at the shoulders, curled about and lay on her neck, the white streak a blaring signal that she was him. What else made them more similar? Than to be tortured on end by a madman and nearly killed, changed in a way that you can't come back from. And she was changed, so changed in some instances he didn't know who the woman cross form him was. In the way she watches like a predator now, taking in every movement and ready to counteract it. Not like how she used to zone out simply staring out the window and enjoying the way the sky looked or the way snowflakes fell down the windowsill. But then he'd see something, like how she now came up and wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him. She felt like Ashley, she hugged him like Ashley, and she fucked him like Ashley did. But her mind was different now, torn and shredded. Put back together with strips of double-sided tape and staples.

He kisses her head and it's her hair, but just shorter. It's her body against his own, but its more solid and harder to kill now, like his own. She still makes his lips quirk into a half smile when she looks up at him with gleaming eyes. But those eyes are constantly asking his approval, always wanting to know if she did right, if she was being good. He detested it on so many levels. But the healers they'd all spoken to had said the same thing. Play into her fantasies and she'll eventually come out of the brain programming if he constantly told her that what he wanted was for her to heal and that her erratic behavior wasn't wanted by him. And it was working, slowly but surely, Ashley was more herself today then she had been in a long time.

"Shower Ashley?" Kori asks softly and the blonde perks up, reaches up to ask silently for his permission. Jason nods and gently pushes her toward Kori's direction, leaving him and Roy to stand in the middle of their living room they'd moved all the furniture from so they could all spar together.

A few minutes passed by and Jason walked from the room, the walls open-air and merely columns that led to the bright lit sky and gardens on the balcony from their apartments. His feet bare as the stones warmed his toes and he leaned on the marble railing. His hand reached up to scrub at his shorn hair, clipped nearly to the skull now because he couldn't stand to look at the lock of white that always fell perfectly on his nose.

He'd been thinking a lot. And had come up to a choice that would ruin some new friendships potentially, but his original goal was still on his mind and he wasn't giving that up now or ever. His knuckles tapped a few times on the marble, and he turns to look over his shoulder at Roy who stood next to him. "What do you see?" Roy glanced out onto the streets below. The city market was nearly beneath their very suites and they had a great view of the people milling about at all hours of the night and day.

Roy looked. He saw shops and stands, carts and smiling people roaming everywhere to find ingredients and oddities he still hadn't had time to try. Everything seemed fine. It seemed perfect. A metropolis working together. But then Roy kept looking. He knew Jason and knew him well. So, he glanced about, watched as a young kid, maybe five or six, was trying to sneak his way under a fruit cart. How the owner saw the kid from the corner of his eyes and kicked out, sending the kid flying into the alley. The cart wielder simply turned and started talking to his customers as if nothing had happened. And no one went to help the kid up or see if he was okay except a few more kids about the same age.

Jason pointed down and clicked his tongue at the scene. "There is no such thing as a perfect place, Roy." Jason looked back up at the sky and the seemingly endless golden light that came from the intense suns that circled this planet. For once missing stormy grey skies and endless rain showers.

Roy sucked his teeth for a second and turned to Jason, saw a gleam in the male's eyes he hadn't seen in a long while. "You want to go back, don' you?" and he did too. He missed his apartment and the sound of rain or hail hitting the window. He missed expensive coffee from the corner shop that Jason owned. He missed the walk for groceries once a week to the Armenian place a few blocks down. He missed the feel of his bow in his hands and the look of fear contorting pusher's face when he treaded too far into their territory. He missed the thrill of a perfectly aimed gunshot ringing through the air and Jason's helmet shining in the yellow streetlamps when thugs and gangsters ran for the very lives.

"Yeah." Jason spoke one word and Roy only nodded in agreement before Jason leaned his elbows on the balcony. "Tricky parts gonna be keeping out of the League's sights, they'll catch on quick." And it was the only obstacle they would need to either avoid or be able to fight back. Because the League still hadn't found them, and Jason doubted they ever would. More than likely, the 'heroes' had bounties out for all of them. But he wanted his kingdom, now, he wasn't giving that up for nothing. Even if some fuckwad had come up and stolen it while he was gone, the Hood would get it back. Easily.

"Are you stupid?" Tim's voice came from the right and Jason tilted his chin a bit to glance at his younger brother. Disbelief on the teen's face and Jason only sniffed, rubbed at his jaw but didn't respond yet. "Jason don't leave here. Don't go back…" His voice wavered and Jason glanced back to Tim. Saw the hurt on the teen's face now.

"Not Cut out for peace, little bro." He stands to his full height, nearly towering over Tim even across the balcony. "Gonna go back and take back what's mine."

"Is being here so bad Jason? An entire planet whose soul purpose is peace? There's no weapons, no mass killings or people trying to take over every other day."

Jason laughed, a barking sound that caused Tim's spine to stiffen where he stood. He knew that laugh, it was Hood's laugh. "You don't think that's happening here? That they aren't plots to take over the power supply of the suns? Hold the whole planet hostage? That there aren't assholes that kick at little kids because they're trying to steal something to eat because they haven't in days?" Jason shook his head and waved out over the balcony to the bustling city around them. "This is nothing more than a ruse, a paper-thin covering over what's underneath this place. Everywhere you go is going to be like this, kid. Time to realize that."

"I would rather run my own operation, keep my own people safe and the best they can be. Then to let innocents constantly be hurt because the police are too chicken shit and the heroes have too many morals."

"Practice what you preach Jason… you're one of those big bads you want to take down so badly…" Jason narrows his steely gaze at the younger Wayne before a feral grin slips his lips upwards at the corners. Tim subconsciously took a half step back before he even knew he'd moved.

"And I'll meet my maker on the other side, the Devil's probably missed me since, you know, I was ripped from hell in the first place just to stand here in front of you." Jason's hands landed on his hips as he continued to grin, unsettling Tim more and more the longer he spoke. "I've died once, been brought back and woke up in my own coffin. I clawed my way six feet up and gasped for breath in the pouring rain and mud. This is my life Tim, I'm gonna run it how I want."

"And taking over Gotham? Is that your goal?" Tim's hands clenched into fists at his sides. Watching as his brother spoke truth, because Jason was a man of few words and when he spoke you listened. He wanted his Crown back, and he wanted his City.

"Gotham will always be my city. From the lower east to the upper west, to the slums and to the docks. I know every fire escape, I know every alley. I know which roads are cobbled and which ones are shitty pothole filled pavement. I know which sewer grates lead to old underground warehouses for Penguin and Joker alike. I've snuck into Poison Ivy's garden for Nightshade Extract. I know where Catwoman keep her apartment full of strays and diamonds. Fuck little brother, I know where Barbara's hideout is hidden. I know which rooftops have the best vantage point for a long-range shot. And Tim? I knew all that before I even became a Robin." Jason walked passed his brother, and when he came shoulder to shoulder, he paused and looked from the corner of his eyes to Tim. "Gotham's always been mine, Drake. Do I want the entire city? Nah. Could I take it if I wanted it?" His eyes narrowed and his lips grinned. "Yes." Then he walked into the apartment, turned and headed down the columned hallway towards the bedrooms.

Roy stood, hips leaning against the balcony as Tim stared at the stoned floor beneath his bare feet. Fists clenched tightly at his sides and a tick to his jaw. "You're not changing him. You're not enough, neither is Bruce or even Richard." His voice startled Tim enough that the teen looked up sharply and glared at the red head across from him. Roy shrugged. "He's not changing for anybody." Roy himself stood and cracked his neck before he started to walk into the apartment,

"Even for her?" Tim mumbled to the red head and Roy paused, smiling gently over his shoulder at the teen.

"He changed for her, and it got her hurt… Let that sink in, kid." Roy looked at Tim steadily, heavy gaze unblinking. "She's that way because Jason got easy, he got comfortable. He got predictable, tame. He blames himself fully, hell I blame myself too because I was doing the same thing. I was getting lenient and I shouldn't have. But this is the price we pay."

"Then why not just stay here? Anywhere else? Stay safe and calm, stay where there's no strife or madness."

Roy only shakes his head once and sighs softly. "Life's a bitch, and she's heartless to those that deserve her most." Roy left Tim on the balcony, he felt sorry for the Wayne. He really did, spending all this time thinking Jason was getting better was helping Ashley. Only to realize Jason was merely waiting for her to be good enough he could take her back home, to Gotham. To take back his piece of the city that was the Hood's.

He found Jason with Ashley on his lap, sitting on the edge of the big bed the four had claimed as their own. Her short hair tangled in his fingers and little breathy sighs coming from her mouth as Jason nibbled and laved at the column of her neck with his tongue and teeth. "Jason…" and like a punch to the gut, Jason sucked in a breath, but he only attacked her neck more thoroughly now. It's the first time she'd said his name and not Jaybird. Jason's blue gaze met Roy's green one from over Ashley's bare shoulder and a grin was on his lips against her skin. Roy knew then and there, they were ready to go back. Kori coming forward and taking Roy's hand, tugging him into the bathroom where the shower was still steaming, and she was stripping him bare.


	49. Chapter 49

Thud

Thud

Thud thud

Thud thud, thud thud

Thud thud, thud thud

Thud thud, thud thud

Splash

Gasping breaths try to recovery quietly. There's too much risk in getting caught.

Shaking hands pat coat pockets. The packages are still there. Lumpy and squared, tightly packed in clear wrap and then layers of duct tape.

Too important to lose, not important enough to die for, at least for the one running them across the lower east end. But employers really don't care if you're alive or dead. As long as they get what they paid you to retrieve.

A shot rang out before the teen could lift their head to scout out the next street. His back smacked against faded brick alleys walls and hands lifted from the pain in their chest.

Red. Blood spattering down and staining the grey coat. Too heavy for spring but perfect for trying to hide stolen blocks of the purest cocaine the city of Gotham had come across. It's the last of the Hood's special blend. The cooks long since vanished or found dead. No one can replicate it, so the price of the drug went into the millions in just a few weeks time. These three blocks were worth twenty-eight mill a piece. He just wanted to set his family up for life. He should have got a job at the Starbucks from his apartment complex.

Steam rose from a deep blue mug, pale hands grip the mug and a small nose breaths in the heavy steam. Thick with herbs and mixtures that more than most practicing wiccans would die to have if they knew they really existed. Rachel breathed in the tea, letting it seep deep into her lungs and body, and she slowly but steadfastly, drank the tea. Her eyes were closed for every moment until the last drags of the tea was gone. All that was left were the herbs and leaves left in the floor of the mug.

Deep, knowing eyes opened to look at the tea leaves. Searching for swirls and shapes, objects or summons and after twisting it to the south just a fraction she saw it. A lopsided crown, spiked and strong sitting in the tea leaves. Thick clots of herbs hanging from it like vines. Strengthening the leader to come.

Over her shoulder Richard leaned into her space and looked quizzically at the mug in her hands and could maybe make out the shape. But nothing close to how she saw it in her hands and eyes. The gleam of her other worldly powers shining under her skin like red slatted eyes of the demon she was born from.

"He's coming back?" She nods and Richard's face lights up like a rocket. "You're sure?" She nods once more, Richard leaning into her space to kiss her heavily, a smile unending on his lips as he does so. "Finally!"

So much had happened… Richard thinks as he glances at their apartment. Only now afforded because of Rachel's amazing skills in writing. Her books were flying off the shelves. His closet no longer held the dark blue uniforms he'd worked so hard in training to receive. Nor were his pressed dress shirts and slacks anymore than filler for the hangers. Instead, the back of the closet held the trims and shears of a sewing kit. Tooled leather and armored plating in slim boxes were holding the mess that was his constant need of reworking of his Red X garb. Constantly revamping it, getting it stronger and faster.

With Jason and the Outlaws gone from the planet, literally. The lower east side had returned to the chaos it had once ben before event the Bat had come into play. It was bad, so bad. Murders, multiple ones, throughout the night and day. Police feared patrolling the streets past dusk or before dawn. Red X had stepped in, tried to calm the storm but without the Hood there, the lower outlaws had gone crazy with power. Infighting had risen, and the one who had any sort of voice was dead early on. Mack, the sturdy second hand that Hood had left to run the streets in his absence, had been gunned down by the new bloods within two months of the Hood's disappearance. Arsenal and Artemis nowhere to be found. Both apartment buildings nothing but ash and rubble now. Charred brick and scorched pavement.

Richard was doing his best to keep everything from getting too far out of hand. But he was just one man, just one man against a city tat the Hood ran. And Bruce was doing his best, but without Jason weeding out the lower grunts and crime lords, there were too many to catch in one patrol. Damian wasn't getting any sleep and Richard was losing muscle mass from a near constant run-through of the stress every night. Rachel was growing exhausted form attempting to help from the sidelines but her powers were noticeable if anyone knew what to look for, and Bruce knew what to look for. She couldn't give Richard away, seeing as they told Bruce he had vanished after being told Jason was gone, again.

On the shelf in the back of the closet sat Jason's red helmet. It fit Richard well... but Richard couldn't stomach the thought of doing it. That was Jason's, who he was, like Red X was Richard's true personality. Dark, twisted, a hint of kindness but mostly a body filled with too much rage to function most days. But he'd do it, if Jason wasn't going to come ack soon, he'd take up the mantle and keep Gotham from true chaos. He felt a weight lift of his shoulders he had no idea he'd been holding, knowing that Jason was coming back.

He was coming home.

Tim didn't know what to do, nor how to act. Thinking these past months that Jason had been doing better. Ashley was halfway back to herself through sheer power of will and affection coming from the other three points of their weird dynamic. And Tim really didn't want to think about how that worked sometimes. He just, didn't understand why Jason would want to leave a place so peaceful and free, to go back to the hell and cloudy skies that was Gotham? But he could see it too, the simple dominating presence of Jason when he walked into a room. His brother knew he was the baddest thing in the room, and he used that to his every advantage, every single time. Jason liked being feared.

Tim didn't know his brother as well as he would have liked. By the time he came around, Jason was already dead, Bruce was barely respondent, and Richard was already graduating high school. Damian came along a year alter and the two had grown close because of their close ages. But Richard wasn't around every single day. Then Jason came back, as the Red Hood. And when Bruce found out, Tim had found him sobbing over a grave in the back of the manor's private cemetery. That was the one and only time Tim had seen Bruce cry, the only time. The last few years he'd seen Jason off and on through missions with the Young Justice League, hard cases that needed backup with Batman and a few seldom family get together. Where Jason barely lasted a few hours before he vanished or something made him so angered that he left boiling mad and Bruce hanging his head with grief.

And as he passed their bedroom, the curtains billowing gently in the soft breeze that always seemed to flow over the city. Tim glimpsed the four of them tangled up in a mass of legs, limbs and bodies on the mussed mattress. Kori on her back draped over Roy's torso at the foot of the bed, his fingers gently grazing through her fiery near alive head of red orange hair. Roy's head lean on Jason's thigh as a pillow while Jason's one hand softly scratched over Roy's scalp. Ashley, with her front plastered to Jason's chest as she curled against him, the expanse of her back bare for any to see. And Tim did see, the deep scorched brand on her lower back that made his stomach roil. The wings attached now seamlessly to her back fluttering gently. Her short-shorn hair in his other hand as they slowly kissed. Jason's back against the headboard and his partners all cuddled up close to him as if they felt safest there. Right there in his heavy, dominating, and shadowed presence.

His face blushed, and he went to turn away, but Jason's glaze flickered open and caught the darker blue of his own with steeled grey storms. Jason's right eye winked and his lips grinned as he pulled away from Ashley's mouth to let her breathe. His grin was feral, animalistic and dark. The human eye teeth in his jaw seeming stronger, whiter and sharper than normal human standards. And whether it's the light or the way the three of them seem to move as one with one simple move from Jason, he feels like hes intruding on something primal and ritualistic. Something dark and forbidden. Something dangerous. Tim stumbles back from the doorway. A very real chill of fear stabbing his spine clean up to his shoulders.

As he practically ran from the hallway, he stopped to even his breathing as he stared out at the setting suns of New Mecca. Her spine still feeling as if it was dipped in pure ice and his shoulders aching with the need to shudder. Tim wondered what would happen when they returned to earth. He wondered if Bruce was ready to handle the thing, the danger, that was his second son.

And then, Tim froze as realization dawned. Bruce would never be able to leash Jason Todd. Roy had been trained by the best, and then trained by Jason as an Outlaw. Kori was a literal queen of an alien race, last of her breed and strongest because of her emotional range. Both loyal to the very last drop of blood to Jason.

Ashley… ruined by Joker, destroyed by freak accident. She would do anything Jason asked, anything at all. Even before Joker… she was showing signs of loyalty to the Hood before anything of consequence had even happened. Loved Jason with everything she had in some twisted way that Tim couldn't comprehend.

Batman wouldn't be enough to stop the Red Hood. He wouldn't be able to stop the Outlaws. Not by himself, not without the League at his back.

So, was it better to prepare to take down Jason? Or... do you join him?

Will Bruce offer his son to stay in the light of justice, or does the Bat fall into shadows to save that son?

Tim scrubbed his hand over his mouth and chin, eyes wide as he realized that same hand was trembling a fraction. The older teen had never felt that before, never realized he was able to feel like this. Because batman had trained him. He'd worked with superman and many others, had his own team. He didn't know how to react, and he didn't know what to do. When Danica found him later that afternoon, he was sitting on the edge of the marble balcony, staring out blinding at the dusky sky and bustling peaceful city. His emotions were warring, and his heart was still stuttering.

"What is wrong Tim?" the red head sits gently on the balcony near him, her head tilting quizzically at the feel of his fluctuating aura.

He keeps staring out at the city, nearly unblinking. "What happens… when a man overtakes a chaotic society that has been warring with itself for decades or more?"

She blinks and tilts her head the other side. "I would presume that the man had good intentions. If the society is in chaos, then the man would do good by grappling them all together and stop the infighting."

"Even if the man is chaotic himself?"

She nods. "A man, chaotic or not, is still a man. And a man rallies his people to follow, whether it be good or evil."

Tim blinks and then sighs deeply. "And if that man wanted to be king?"

"Then he'll have to show the people hes the best choice. A people can choose their leader, if they realize that they are the ones with the power."

"And if the people are too cowardly?" Tim turns to her.

"Than the man becomes a king over sheep, and will wear the crown for eternity."


	50. Chapter 50

Bubbles and steaming hot water dripped from the side of a marbled bathtub. Large enough to fit all four of them, they had already tested it out more than once. Kori's long red locks are side swept and over her shoulder, gently swirling in the water as Ashley sits across her thighs. Her shorter legs and torso curled up against the Tameranean, wings low and relaxed over the side of the tub, the metal glinting in the soft light of the flame like sconces on the walls. The three moons of the planet slowly trailing over the night sky as Kori washes Ashley's hair. Her soft humming gently coaxing the blonde's shoulders into a relaxed state as she does so.

"Kori?" the red head hums softly, acknowledging Ashley had spoken, inside elated that the blonde was using her name more and more. Though she still sounded unsure of herself, her gaze flickering and when she can't find Jason, she turns timid and unassertive. "Why is Jason sad when he looks at me?"

Kori's hands still. "Lean your head back." Ashley does so and closes her eyes as Kori takes a small glass bowl to gently rinse the soap from Ashley's thick, short locks. When she's finished, Ashley looks over her shoulder, inches from Kori's own face. Kori's tanned skinned hand reaches up and gently traces fingers over Ashley's jaw, where light pink scars are scattered now from her time with the joker. The man had been brutal…

"He feels guilt, because you were hurt." Ashley's face contorts into confusion and Kori is quick to kiss her cheeks to calm the panic attack that is brewing in the blonde's pale eyes. She may be getting better, but Ashley often couldn't understand basic human emotions because her trauma went so deep. The conditioning too strong. "But you are here now, and he'll never, ever, allow you to be hurt like that again."

She's quick to dry Ashley off with soft linen towels dyed a rich deep blue and braids her wet locks back away from her face. The white and deep blonde mixing in the twists. Ashley's wings twitch when Kori gently touches the left one to move so she can lace the back of Ashley's shirt. Her fingers trace the outer edge and Ashley looks over her shoulder as if Kori had touched her back and not the wing. Kori narrows her gaze.

"Can you feel my touch?" Ashley tilts her head a bit. Kori touches over the same place again and Ashley's shoulders and side tense as if she was being lightly tickled. The blonde nods. "Let's go to bed." Ashley takes Kori's offered hand and smile as the red head leads her to their room. Roy is lightly snoring on the corner, Jason's feet against Roy's thigh as the male looks up at their entrance. Ashley's lets go of Kori's hand and leaps onto the bed, lightly rousing Roy but only enough to make the ginger roll over onto his stomach with a grumble.

Jason's arms encircled Ashley's thin waist and the blonde smiled wide up at him. "All clean, baby?" She nods, the damp strands of her hair sticking some to her slender neck. He glances up and a ghost of a smile is on his lips. "Did Kori braid your hair again?" She nods, more excited this time. "It looks good on you." A flicker of something flashes over Jason's eyes and Roy, now awake, happened to be peeking over at him when it happened. The red head knew, remembering the first day they'd gone out all together for breakfast, and Ashley's hair was something from a Viking show on Netflix. The smile on her face before the television had started broadcasting Jason's worst nightmare.

"Let's go to sleep babygirl." Ashley makes this sort of pouting face, and Jason cups her jaw in his large palm. His thumb softly caressing the apple of her cheek and she leans into his hand, a contented sigh barely leaving her lips. "We're leaving tomorrow baby, and you're gonna need your rest."

She lights up like a Christmas tree, the massive wings at her back flaring open and she grows weightless against Jason's lap for a moment before her weight settles back down and they curl back against her shoulders. "Where are we going?!"

Jason licks his teeth and the tip of his tongue ghosts over his sharper canines, his palm still softly caressing over her cheek. "Remember where we were before the League base?" it takes her a moment, her eyes scrunching, her head tilted as she tries to remember. They'd discovered that the League was all fuzzy in her mind, she barely remembered being there, and her recollection of the months she spent living with him were muddled and doctored by conditioning. But it helped to ask her, fix those memories with their own to help her evolve beyond what she'd been tortured into.

"Mnnn…" she finally nods but its not very confident. "It's cold there." Jason finds himself chuckling under his breath and he nods.

"Yeah, it is sometimes." Her fingers trail over the expanse of his bare chest, ghosting over the little number of scars he's attained since his resurrection. Fingers spread wide and palm flat, she stills over his heart and feels the rhythm of his blood pumping under his ribcage. Pale eyes still scrunched up in thought.

"And wet, it always rains there." Again, he nods.

"'Member what it's called?" Ashley's wings flutter, the tiny sounds of metal gears and plates shifting. He's found he can hear that sound throughout the house if he focuses on his previous training with his hearing. If he really wants to, without the need of his helmet… he can hear her heartbeat... and Kori's and Roy's if he's close enough like he is now. Three separate hearts beating nearly in synch, thrumming in his eardrums.

"Go….."

"Go on baby, tell me..." his other hand slides over the curve of her hip, the slope of her lower back to touch the strip of bare skin there.

"Goth… Gotham?" her nose wrinkles and Jason grins, it's the cutest fucking thing he's seen in a long while and it's her, all her. Jason lurches forward and rewards her with a breathtaking kiss that has her scrambling to grip at his shoulders and neck as he steals the very air from her lungs.

"That's my girl." He whispers against her lips and pulls back. Her lips are swollen and pink, her breaths a little uneven and a flush to her cheeks over pale skin. At his feet he feels movement and glances over her shoulder, Ashley looks too, twisting so she can grin at the red headed male behind her.

"You know, man…" Roy crawls on hands and knees to between Ashley's wings and leans forward, uncaring of the death trap they are, and kisses the base of her neck. "We're gonna need all new armor." He continues to kiss over Ashley's shoulder to the dip of her neck. "And Dodge is gonna need some too."

"Dodge.." Ashley murmurs for a moment and a smile crosses her lips as she leans forward to press herself against Jason and bite at her bottom lip. She knows that name. Knows it hers.

"What do you think Kor'?" Jason asks the Tameranean woman as she comes up to his right and drapes herself over his side and shoulder to lightly caress Ashley's cheek.

"Her skin is durable but not nearly bullet proof as I am…."

"Too much padding could put a lot of weight on her, gonna make it hard for her to fly with added weights like that." Roy pipes up from behind Ashley between featherlike kisses over her neck, his rough palms gently sliding over her curves. She can't fly yet, but she can hover for short periods and is getting faster at launching herself into the air to avoid hits. But they were confident the things on her back were actually capable of short term flight.

"We'll need a polymer metal blend, it'll be lightweight and bullet proof unless close range." Jason only grins wide as Ashley frowns at the thought of being shot at close range. "As if they'll get that close to you babygirl. We'll make sure of that." Her lips turn upwards, and she starts to smile before it turns into a gasp, Kori latched onto Jason lips, Roy at Ashley's back sinking his teeth into the curve of her shoulder as his hand dives beneath her sleeping trousers and right between her thighs.

"I just gave her a bath..." Kori admonishes the ginger but Roy only grins from over Ashley's shoulders as the blonde whimpers in delight and Jason retaliates by gripping the round cheek of Kori's ass in his palm roughly. Earning him a longing glare from the alien.

"I'll clean her up… won't I, sweetheart?" he whispers into Ashley's ear, teeth gently biting the lobe and Jason feels her shudder over his thighs and how her legs tense against his knees where she's perched as Roy starts to touch her more. Ashley can't answer, she's got her eyes closed and she is panting softly, nails cutting into Jason's shoulders as Roy brings her close and closer to orgasm as fast as he can. She's always so responsive to any of them…

Kori has her fingers threaded into Ashley's short hair, the locks not braided. The blonde sprawled across both males as she sleeps soundly, her torso on top of Roy's chest and hips on Jason's belly. The red head under her dead asleep, leaving Kori and Jason the only ones awake as the multiple moons of new mecca shone over all the bared flesh of different skin tones on silken sheets.

He knows her tells, enough time spent with someone will do that to you. There's a hardness to her gaze, a little more of a shine than normal, a tiny glint in her iris. His palm lifts and cups her cheek, the thick locks of her fire like hair caught between his hand and her flesh, it's warm. Her gaze flickers to his.

"Tell me."

"She feels touch." Kori looks away, her finger tips grazing over Ashley's right wing, the curve of the joint and how the blonde shifts subtly in her sleep as the appendage flutters as if being tickled gently. Jason's eyes widen then narrow, he too reaches out to flutter his fingers over the gleaming metal on the blonde's back. The barely heard sound of blades grinding comes from the multitude of feathers and gears moving millimeters in reaction. But less so than they'd realized before. It was softening, not so much crunching metal and more smooth like.

"The nano's…" Jason murmurs barely a whisper as he touches over the curves of one wing again. Watches at it lifts and fluffs back down, as if it had weightless countless silken feathers on it instead of the pounds of heavy steel and iron. The nano bots the Joker had injected her with… "They have to be evolving still, attaching to her nervous system more…"

Kori nods, it's what she had on her mind for a while now. Lately Ashley could control them more and more, to the point they were almost naturally moving with her. Though they were extremely heavy and the labor of hefting them around all day and night was showing in the blonde's upper back and arms. The muscle growing and thickening under her hardened skin.

They sit in silence for long moments lost in thoughts and the quiet that surrounded them. Jason's hands lightly tracing over Ashley's lower back where mottled scar tissue still lay raised and ugly against what used to be just criss crossed patterns of crowbar marks. Now those were barely seen through the scarred and burned flesh of where her tattoo used to sit, flayed form her body and branded like a wild animal. A piece of property.

Jason's left cheek itched under his eye. A ghostly reminder of why he was a never ending soul of rage.


	51. Chapter 51

As the suns of New Mecca rose, Jason woke with a start to an empty bed and Roy rushing into the room with a look of pure fear on his face.

"She's gone." It's a whisper, it's a shout. And it's an animalistic terrifying ear that surges up and causes his stomach to fall out of his body and bile to rise in his throat.

Jason rushes to stand, barely getting out of the mussed sheets without falling to the floor. His hands itch for guns that he no longer has and hasn't had since coming to this planet. They have no gear and no armor. And she's gone, she's not there.

"Woke up and she wasn't here, drakes already outside and looking. Kori's in the air." Jason only nodded to Roy, yanking on a pair of linen pants and his boots. Not caring he was bare chested and not a weapon to his name now. His skin felt cold.

Footsteps pounded and they were at the market. Early enough in the morning it wasn't so crowded but there were too many people milling about. Too many eyes and faces he didn't know and a mediocre knowledge of the alleys around them. Jason cursing his ignorance in his surroundings the endless months they've been here. Too focused on Ashley, getting her stable.

It felt like hours, his vision swimming and it took Jason a moment to realize why he couldn't see straight anymore. His back hits a marbled alley wall and he slumped down to a half crouch on the path. Droplets hitting his knees coming from his chin. He was crying. "Fuck…" his chest hurt, collapsing in on itself while the shell is still intact.

"FUCK!" he spun, standing and losing his balance all while aiming a fist at the wall he was just leaning. His foot slipped, shoulders clipped the wall and a sob wracked from his chest. She was gone, and he didn't even know how! Just, not there anymore. How could that even happen? With all of them in the same bed?!

He heard steps nearing him and Jason reacted instinctually. He whipped towards the sound and snarled low in his throat, teeth bared, and fingers clawed as if he was going to use the only weapons, he had on him, his own body. Not even caring about the tears slowly streaming down his cheeks, he catches familiar blue eyes and he stills. Tim's standing there, hands up in a placating gesture and shoulders hunched to make himself look smaller. Didn't take much, he was barely at Jason's chest.

Tim opened his mouth as if to ask something and then stopped, instead stayed where he was for moments while Jason collected himself. Gave a cough and wiped at his cheeks before a deep settling breath came shakily from his lips and chest, almost deflating him for a moment. "I asked some of the early merchants if they'd seen her. One of them said she came through two hours ago and went towards the gardens."

Jason nodded, gave himself a shake to calm what was left of his head. He was a mess, and it was obvious he couldn't control his emotions right now. Oh, how he wished he had his helmet, hell even the stupid domino mask he wore under the damn thing. The kid didn't need to see him like this. No one needed to see him like this, ever. He glanced over at Tim, took him in. he was tall for his age, shit they all were, and starting to get a lot of definition in his face and body. Bulking up, yet he stood with an air of kindness. Something Jason hadn't expected to still see in the kid, not after everything they had went through. Not after seeing him this way, weak. He shook his head again; he didn't have time to think about Tim or why the kid was even still here with him. Tim had a lead on his woman, and they ere going after it.

Tim heads out of the alleyway, towards what Jason is assuming are the local gardens. Hating himself for how little he'd taken in of their current place, he starts to map the streets into his head. That wasn't like him, he always knew where he was. He always knew what burrow he was in and what bridge he was closest too. Jason knew Gotham backwards and forwards, not this place. His brother is silent beside him, his slightly shorter legs keeping up with Jason's long strides.

"She can't have wandered too far." Jason starts, pauses in his rushed walking and glances back at his younger brother. They still hadn't talked too much, still hadn't reached some sort of bridge they could both cross at the same time. Tim always seemed so far out of reach to Jason, that he hardly tried. Now that he had the chance, he wasn't sure what to do or how to go about it. But Tim had made a friend of Ashley, the blonde had taken a liking to the younger brother. Not fearing him and not minding having small conversations.

"How'd she not wake anyone up? Its not like her to just go." And it was not, Ashley rarely was without at least one of their strange four cornered dynamic. She didn't just wander off, and she wasn't the quietest person either, with those wings and her forgetting they were there she tended to bump into things and walls sometimes. She couldn't have just gotten up and never made a sound without waking any of them up, it didn't seem possible. His fists clenched briefly.

Tim only frowned and turned the corner with Jason at his side. The walkways shifting from smooth marble to old cobble like groundwork and limbs of cines climbing up and over archways. The sounds of many small fountains and the soft chirping or two headed multicolored and winged birds. Archways grew tighter together and then they crossed into a building, up smooths tone steps where plants of every color shape and size were freely blooming and growing on every step and every surface. The building was extremely high ceiling with a glass dome above them, stone archways stacked up and up for maybe six stories or more. Birds flew back and forth, and water splashed down the fountains to the thirty plants below.

Two set of blue eyes scanned what they could see. Vines climbed and creeped over every pillar; blooming flowers of neon colors fluffed every edge. Water dripped from a higher up set of fountains that acted as mini waterfalls to the foliage below. Stone and wooden benches and sitting areas littered every little nook and cranny. But there was no one here. Not a soul besides their own, and no sign of Ashley. They start to search, there's hidden pockets all over, small little niches of space in every hallway and sunk into the stone walls behind vines.

The dome is empty, and Jason clenches his fists at his sides. She must be here; she has to be here and not somewhere else. Not somewhere he can't find her. He promised her he…

"Jason." Tim whispers his name and takes a step toward yet another half-hidden hallway. The older teen vanishing behind a veil of purple flowered vines and Jason is quick to follow. The hall is shadowed and slips of sunlight are shining through the cracks in the thick vines as they weave through them, out in an open balcony where the trills of hundreds of birds are chirping.

His feet glue to the stone beneath him.

Her soft laugh is enough to make his heart clench but then he takes in what he's seeing. Her feet are several yards above the ground. Sunlight shining on the metal of her wings makes ripples of multifaceted colors spray over the plants and birds that are flitting just inches from her body. Back and forth, over and under as her arms spread wide. Her eyes scorched into pure concentration as she flutters her wings. She's using watching every bird that comes close to her. Eyes flickering over and analyzing every movement she can track with the naked eye.

Tim goes to say something, and Jason has the teen in his grip in a half heartbeat. Large hand over the boy's mouth and his other hand holding a finger to her own lips. Eyes still trained on Ashley as she flexes once more and starts to flap harder, gain height and movement then let herself gently come back to the ground. Her landing is unsteady, she stumbles tot eh side but the left wing flicks out and flexes, pulling her back to standing straight and she looks over her shoulder at it, as if she didn't mean to tell it what to do but it still reacted like she wanted. Wonder on her features.

Jason releases Tim and walks slowly forward, still unnoticed by Ashley as she looks upwards and towards the skies. He wings flex outwards, stretched to their full span and then she plants he right foot back. And Jason has the off thought that she's barefoot, her thighs tense and his eyes widen. He can't grab her, she already out of his reach as she collects herself and then launches into running, straight for the low balcony. Her right foot touches the edge of it, she pushes off and her wings flap hard at the same time.

She dives.

"ASHLEY!" Jason launches tot eh balcony, and just as he thrusts his neck to look over it, he has to pull back suddenly and he's on his ass. Hand blocking the shine of the suns as Ashley rushes past, a gust of wind in her wake and the birds around her screeching in circles as she spins and glides. A little unsteady and she might have barely missed a pillar with a too quick turn but, she's flying…

"Holy …shit…" Tim sits back, stumbles until he can sit on a bench and barely makes it, his ass almost falling off it. Eyes wide.

"Jason!" Ashley turns and catches sight of him, a bright smile on her face and for a half second, she's slowed in time to Jason. Her lips returned upwards, teeth bright and shining. Hair an absolute mess and in her face but her eyes are glaringly bright, a rose tint to her cheeks and then she's diving. One foot, two feet, stumbling and she rough takes a knee as she stops by Jason.

His hand reaches up and grips the side of her face, his thumb just touching the underside of her eyes. She's panting, but with that smile on her face. He kisses her, ripped her close to him and brigs her against his chest, devouring her every panting breath until she collapses on top of him and he finally pulls back. Grasps her face in his hands and he's laughing, a crazed sort of cackle as she laughs in response.

"You can fly…"

"I can fly!"

"You, can fly!"

"She can fly…" Tim scrubs and hand over his face. He shouldn't be surprised or maybe he should be. What happened to Ashley to give her wings was unnatural. They shouldn't have been capable of flight, they shouldn't work. Yet…

"Dammit woman, you were gone! You can't scare me like that baby…" Jason whispers and Ashley loses some of her smile.

"I'm sorry, I just… I wanted to try… I…" Ashley pulls back a bit and glances at Tim but then back at Jason and a sort of resolve set sin her features. Jason sits up straighter and refuses to release his grip on his jaw in his hands. "I won't be weak anymore." Jason inhales sharply. This was… "Jason I promised I wouldn't leave your side, now they'll have to go through me to take me. I won't be weak anymore."

Jason gripped her a bit tighter, stared into those ice blue eyes and searched long and hard. There wasn't a shred of insecurity or madness in her gaze. Ashley exhaled shakily and gripped his hands over hers. This, this was the first time shed been one hundred percent lucid. This was her. "Jason…"

"Ashley…" she leaned forward and placed her forehead on his. Breathed in his air and gripped his hands tight in her grip, much stronger than it used to be but still uniquely her touch. "How?"

She pulled back and shook her head. "I'm not… I'm not sure. I think maybe… talking about Gotham last night maybe broke that last wall. I don't know and I don't care…." Her arms are around his neck, hugging with the force of a rhino. His come up to grip her lower back and over her shoulders, his fingers in her hair and a sob wracks his chest. Ashley grips him tighter and he can't stop as another one rolls through his body, then another and another.

Ashley shushes him, pets his nearly shorn hair and scratches soothingly at his scalp until his grip on her slackens enough she can pull back to wipe at his tear-filled eyes. A little hiccup laugh escapes her own throat. "Never thought I'd seen Jason Todd crying over a girl."

He coughs a chuckle and clears his throat. "Over a girl? Nah, but a woman? My woman?" he grips her lower back and kisses the inside of her wrist as she cups his jaw. "Yeah, Jason fucking Todd will cry over his woman."

Ashley blushes, a little pink to her cheeks and then her eyes darken, her smile fades. "We're still leaving today, aren't we?"

Jason takes a low breath and nods, leans into her smaller hand at his cheek. "Yeah baby, we're leaving. We're going home."

Ashley hums. "Home."


	52. Chapter 52

Tim sat back on the stone bench, mesmerized as Ashley took running starts and launched herself off Jason's knee, back or his shoulder. Using the male as a launch base and flinging herself into the air over and over. Every movement of her wings in the sunlight raining spotted and diamond specks of lights shimmering over every surface for a split second. Not fully comprehending how it was possible. Her wings were machines, fueled with nanites and made with heavy steel. She should not have been able to do what she was doing. It had to be the nanites, or maybe they hadn't studied the wings well enough and there was something…

He groaned softly and rubbed at his eyes, the spot in the middle of his forehead was aching and his shoulders were tense. There were too many variables they hadn't looked into deep enough, they'd all had one sole focus to get the blonde back to some modicum of sanity and had ignored much of anything else. They did not study the very things on her back that Joker had surgically attached to her… Tim wondered idly if her shoulders ached or if she just had lost feeling in the muscles from the trauma. Maybe her nerve endings were fried and she didn't notice.

"Tim?" Startled, the teen blinked and looked up, finding Ashley's haze less blue eyes looking at him. Her hands were on her knees and she was leaning towards him. Wings pulled close to her back and sides as she looks through her wind-blown bangs of white and blonde. "You good?" Tim paused, lost in the steely ice that was her worried gaze. A look that held no wavering, no uncertainty. Just concern, for him.

His heart sped up a beat, and he could feel his cheeks flush pink. Tim wasn't an idiot; Ashley was a gorgeous woman. Curves, wavy blonde hair, just enough muscle definition to not take away from her womanly features. Bright eyes that draw you in from three rooms away. At Christmas she'd been a winter goddess in her sweater dress and leggings, those thick thighs of hers screaming for attention. But she had devotion, loyalty to a sharp edge and she did not waver from it. Where other's would fall from one edge or the other, destined to fail either way, Ashley stayed true and didn't stumble in the straight line that was loving Jason Todd. And she loved him, Tim knew that, saw that, believed it more than he believed in god or anything else. She was here, lucid, still utterly loyal to the Red Hood, and worried about him. Because he winced from the sunlight and had a growing headache, she saw that from across the balcony and had come to ask him how he was, if he was okay. Tim flitted his gaze over her shoulder and saw his brother, the giant mass of him looming in sunlight yet still shadows clung to him every angle. At her side and focused on her, not with hate or malice, not even skepticism. Just her.

"I'm alright." Tim smiled and took her offered hand, with a moment of hesitation, to stand up even though he didn't need it and she knew that. Her touch was soft, grip strong without being too much and she smiled at him.

Jason came up to her side, her wing moved without her looking away from Tim, Jason wrapped an arm around her lower back to grasp at her opposite hip. "Should we head back?" Jason nods, leaning into the crown of her hair and lightly pressing his lips into the mussed curls.

"Shit, Kori and Roy are probably going frantic." Tim groaned and scrubbed at his face. He'd forgotten to warn them that he and Jason had found Ashley. But without communicators or cell phones here. They didn't have much in the way of instant contact.

"It's fine." Jason tilted his head to the left and Tim followed his gaze. The two red heads in question coming through the veil of vines from the same entrance he and Jason had come from earlier. "They just found us."

Tim watches as Jason reluctantly releases Ashley's form, the blonde taking a running start toward the red haired tameranean, throwing her arms around Kori's waist and hugging the life out of the other woman. Koriand'r chuckles, strokes her hands down Ashley's mussed hair to attempt to tame the wild locks. "Kori! Look what I can do!" and the red head is taken aback as Ashley pulls herself from her and whips around. Locking eyes with Jason and getting a nod in response.

Jason drops to a knee, facing toward the fountains in the middle of the balcony and Ashley pushes off from her feet, running full force toward Jason. Her bare feet slapping the stonework and then she's jumping on Jason's left shoulder. Which Jason in turn pushes off the ground and gives her even more momentum, her wings spread and she's airborne. Gusts of light wind coming at the ones on the ground as Ashley turns and slowly glides around them. The tameranean gasps, Tim guesses she and Roy hadn't come in time to see Ashley flying, and launches herself into the air to fly beside Ashley.

"How in the flying fuck….how… what the fuck?!" Roy shouts in shock, pointing at Ashley and Kori in the air and looking from Jason to Tim and back again then back up to the two women going higher and higher.

Jason comes up to Roy's side and nudges his shoulder against the red heads. "She's lucid." Roy's head whips to the side, wide green eyes staring at Jason, the other male casually watching the two women circling in the air while Kori softly praises the blonde. He's not sure if she can tell or not that Ashley's come out of herself.

"Damn, bout time…" Roy reaches up and chuffs at Jason's jawline, chuckling coming up into his throat and it sounds watery. As if the red head Is attempting to hold back tears. Tim looks away, unable to comprehend the amount of emotion in such simple gestures with these two males. Not knowing how to react or if this was normal. But really, was anything normal for any of them?

Tim didn't know what this was. He didn't understand how there could be so much raw emotion between the four of these people. It was hard enough to love his brothers sometimes, with the vastly different personalities. He knew the love Alfred had for all of them, how Bruce loved them but kept himself at such a distance it was hard to know how the man really felt some days. But this, Ashley had nosedived just then, fully trusting Jason would step forward and catch her at the last second. He did, turning and spinning only to stop on a dime and set her feet on the ground, his arms around her smaller frame to hug her close to his chest. Kori landing at her side to gently touch her cheek, Roy reaching out and pulling Ashley's hand to his chest and kissing her wrist as he does so. Tim, with tears somehow welling in his eyes, turned and looked away. He just didn't get it, didn't understand how these four people could have so much love for each other equally and not be ashamed, or confused about any of it.

"You're really back… aren't you sunshine?" Roy whispered, reaching to cup Ashley's cheek and kiss her lips softly. The blonde sighed, closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, into the kiss, completely happy to be in Jason's arms while Roy kissed her. And Jason acted as fi there was no jealousy in the action…

"Yeah." She smiles, Roy pulls back and Kori is there now wrapping her arms around Roy's chest . Ashley's gaze flits to Roy, Kori and then back to Jason. "We're going back home." Jason's hand came to frame her cheek and she leant into it, Roy's palm on the other side. "We're taking back our home, our streets."

Jason pulled her to him, her wings flared for a moment before tucking against her back. Ashley's arms slipped around his shoulders to lock her hands at the back of his neck. Her short nails scratching gently at his short hair, Jason's hands gripping her hips to his own. "Damn straight, babygirl. Every street, every warehouse, every parking garage. Fuck, even the little churro cart down East and Main that had those cinnamon bites you fucking loved so much, baby." And fuck it all, if Ashley doesn't smile at Jason. Smile at him with full adoration as if he didn't just say he was about to take over a city, that they were about to take over a city. Put their lives on the line for… Tim wasn't so sure anymore… he wasn't sure of anything at the moment.

They were leaving. They were going to go right back to Gotham and… Tim wasn't sure what to do. Jason made it very clear just then that he was going back to take over Gotham. And Tim… didn't know which side to choose. He looked back, saw the way the four of them moved as a unit, separate but together. Each one a force to be reckoned with in their won right, and each one fiercely protective… no, not just protective, they were possessive over the others, in an animal feral type way that Tim was starting to grow fearful of. Because if the Red Hood had these three at his back… who else would change their tune… the amount of small time vigilantes that were in tune with Jason's type of justice was growing by the year. His database at the Young Justice headquarters was constantly growing with unanswered questions about who these people were and what were their goals.

"Tim?" The older teen was jolted out of his thoughts, finding Ashley standing just in front of him and the others hanging back some. Her face one of concern and her hand raised as if she wanted to touch him but was unsure if it would be allowed. And Tim found his heart sinking at the realization he wanted her touch, craved it in a way that was unlike the others. The compassion in her eyes, finally free of the manic haze, was what he'd seen at Christmas at the manor. A woman who'd chose her path for those she believed in, those she loved. And Tim, he wanted to be loved, to be cherished by someone that wasn't a significant other or a lover. Just simply, someone who cared. Someone who cared enough to give a damn about him. Not what he was capable of, not what he was trained in, just someone who wanted to know he was okay. That he'd had enough sleep at night and that he wasn't living on coffee and microwave pizzas in his tiny apartment on the west side of Gotham or training his ass off on three days of no sleep in the young justice base. Where not even his teammates cared enough to check on him but once a week, if that.

Timothy Drake knew in that moment what he wanted, and he was scared shitless. So terrified he could feel his hands shaking, his knees were weak and he could feel his eyes water at the realization before words formed in his mind. Ashley's head turned to glance back at Jason, the male nodded and she turned, quickly wrapped Tim up in her arms and held him close to her. His taller frame hunching a bit to accommodate her, as her arms were the ones on top and she was pulling him down to her level. But Tim found his body moving on his own, his arms tentatively wound around her smaller frame. It took him long moments to realize he was shaking, he was not crying but, dry sobs were wracking his body and the only thing holding him together in any way was Ashley Dodge, broken, tortured and scarred Ashley, hugging him. Holding him tightly and keeping him from shattering into a hundred thousand pieces.

Is this how Jason feels every time she touch him? Is this what he's fighting for to keep her with him?

Tim lifted his head and Ashley smiled at him, wiping the apple of his cheeks where tears where gathering and letting him calm his own breathing before she spoke. And when he had, and stood on his own, it took her a moment to pull away from him. He missed her warmth. "I'm with you…" he barely whispered it, and she furrowed her brow at him. Tim cleared his throat and stood up straighter, locked his gaze with her own icy steel orbs. "I'm with you." He moved his gaze to his older brother and instead of being a fallen Robin, instead of seeing a man out for a vengeance Tim didn't understand, he saw a man protecting what was his with everything he had and wasn't running away from anything. He saw his brother. A brother who couldn't really stand him.

"Kid.." Jason went to argue, could see the resolve in Tim face he knew, but he stopped his brother.

"No, I going with you." Jason came up to Ashley's back, wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her back to him, her wings instinctively moving to the sides and lower.

"You got a future, with the Young Justice. Go be a hero kid. Don't stick around with us."

"No... No!" Tim swung his hand down with finality in front of him. "I don't want to be a hero. I never did… I didn't know what I wanted. I thought I needed to be like Bruce, like Dick. Hell even like Damián.." he looked away, towards the balcony where the sun was shining down on them. Fighting back tears that actually were about to fall this time around.

"Kid no, you're not throwing your life away. Not for me."

"But they can?!" Tim threw his hand again, pointing toward Koriand'r and Roy, Ashley in his arms. "I'm you're brother Jason! As much as you hate me, please don't try to tell me what choice is right or wrong."

Jason is silent for a moment, moves his way around Ashley and comes up to him, his chest is heaving and he's near tears yet Jason looks calm. "You think I hate you, kid?" Jason's nearly a head or more taller than him, twice as wide and five times as strong. He'd killed hundreds or more, Tim could only guess the real number, with his bare hands. Voice soft, soft like when he whispers to Ashley.

"I know you do…" Tim's own voice is a cracked and high pitched whimper at this point. He feels small right now.

"Tim…" and Jason's on him in a way Tim never expected. He's wrapped up in arms and smashed into a bare chest. Steel corded muscles are wound around his shoulders and hands at his back, Jason's got his palm at the back of his head and holding him there to his chest. Because Tim's really sobbing now. There's tears and gasped choked attempts for breath and his hands are shaking. "I don't hate you, kid. You're my little brother… shit… never hated you… fuck, kid."


End file.
